Rock-Paper-Scissors
by Leriko
Summary: Huh? My life is a game? What do you mean by that? Surely it's impossible. Wait, why is the Rock-Paper-Scissors skill the only skill I use and why have I dumped most of my stats into LUCK? It can't be for perverted reasons, can it? Well, it probably is, considering I'm the one and only Issei Hyoudou... What? There are Angels and Devils who want my power? Do I have to fight now?
1. Chapter 1

**[Good morning, sleepyhead.]**

I stared at the rectangle in front of me, thinking I was still half-asleep. Having read things about people being paralysed upon awakening and hallucinating often terrifying things, I honestly believed I was partaking in such a ritual. However, as I realised I could move my body just fine, I pursed my lips and blankly stared at the box, ignoring the text that had presented itself to me.

I mean, it was a strange blue thing that I could stick my hand through without any trouble. Anyone would be confused and shocked.

 **[Are you ready to being the tutorial?]**

The text changed without warning, making me jump just a little. Although I was feeling nervous and unsure as to what to do, I sat up and nod my head once, watching as the text rapidly changed once again.

 **[Great! First of all, your life is now a game of some kind.]**

"A game…?" I muttered out loud. "What, like an RPG or MMO?"

 **[Exactly! To prove it to you, here's your status screen.]**

 **NAME: Issei Hyoudou  
LEVEL: 1  
EXP: 0/100  
AGE: 17  
RACE: Human  
CLASS: Hentai Fiend  
Title: Leader of Perverted Trio  
HP: 150/150  
MP: 5/5  
STR: 15  
VIT: 15  
AGI: 10  
DEX: 10  
INT: 5  
WIS: 5  
LCK: 10**

 **[It's self-explanatory but to set things straight, your CLASS and hobbies are what made your stats the way they are. Titles don't really mean anything, so I'll skip over that stuff. However, the actions you make will give you titles.]**

I see…so, my life really is a game of sorts. But, where are my skills and how and why did this happen to me of all people?

 **[You don't have any skills yet because you've just started but there's no need to worry! You can acquire skills by completing actions or events or paying someone to teach you! There are also some hidden skills, so don't forget to try everything you can!]**

So it totally ignored the second part of my question, huh? But that doesn't matter, I suppose. I'll find out why I've been chosen in the future if fate treats me well, so all I have to do is get stronger. Although, are there things like achievements in this game? What about relationship indicators? Usually, in MMOs, there _are_ things like reputation…

 **[Both of those concepts do exist! Here is your only achievement so far!]**

 **[ACHIEVEMENTS  
Start the game!  
Reward: the tutorial!]**

 **[All of the achievements are hidden, so do your best to unlock all of them! You might get certain skills if you do!]**

 **[Moving along, here is a taste of your relations tab!]**

 **RELATIONS  
Kuoh Academy  
Despised: 69/100**

 **Hyoudou Family  
Unconditionally Loved: 100/100**

Well, at least my parents love me…

 **[Now, to finish off the tutorial, I'll help you acquire a skill and complete a quest!]**

 **[Quest: Greet mom!  
Go downstairs and greet your mom because it's morning! That's what any loved child does, right?  
Rewards: +100 EXP]**

Ok, so all I have to do is go downstairs and greet mom, right? That sounds fairly easy…

Alright! I've decided that I'm just going to accept this strange occurrence as my new life and try to not abuse it! But first, I must shower!

* * *

I was standing in my room, towel wrapped around my waist. Staring down at my uniform, expecting some kind of information window to pop up, I frowned. Eventually, I just put the damn thing on. Is it wrong to say I was expecting some kind of status boost, too?

Bathing in disappointment, however, I made my way downstairs.

"Good morning, mom." I simply said as I sat down at the dining table, my mother's back visible in the kitchen. She looked at me from over her shoulder, offered me a bright smile and greeted me back in the same way.

 **[Congratulations! You have completed a quest!  
You said to your mom, "Good morning!" And she responded in kind. What a loving family!  
Reward: +100 EXP, Observation Skill]**

Huh, I got a skill…and a useful one at that. In fiction, in these kinds of stories in particular, everyone acquires an observation skill of some kind…

 **[You completed your first quest and levelled up! I also helped you get a skill at the same time! Isn't that amazing? Anyway, to activate Observation, all you need to do is stare at something really hard until some kind of information pops up!]**

 **[Now, that was the tutorial, so have fun!]**

As quickly as it had arrived, the obnoxious box vanished, leaving me to deal with my problems all by myself. Well, I didn't really have any problems so I guess I'm okay. But…what do I do now? There aren't going to be random monsters outside or anything, so how exactly do I level up? Do I just complete mundane quests?

Oh, right, completing that quest gave me a generous amount of EXP, so I levelled up. I wonder how I should distribute my points…

In the end, I decided to save my five points and make my way to school. I shouldn't waste my points as I had no clear goal in mind, so, knowing this, I'll try and create a goal I can work towards.

* * *

 **[Discovery: Kuoh Academy]**

Huh, neat.

Right now, I was standing outside my school, waiting for…something. Not a person, but a something that may not even happen. It was silly, but it was better than nothing. I mean, a monster may attack the school and I might be the only one that would be able to stop it.

…What am I thinking? As if anything would attack this place. There'd be no reason to. Well, they might want to commit a genocide, but why start with innocent high school students? They've done nothing wrong…I think.

"Issei, what are you looking at?" That familiar voice was definitely Motohama's. My glasses wearing friend clapped his hand on my shoulder and looked in the same direction I was which was across the courtyard of the school.

"Nothing, really. Just admiring the scenery." Motohama gave me a strange look as I glanced at him, a frown on his face. I tilted my head to the side. "What? Is there something on my face?" Motohama shook his head and took off walking. I naturally followed behind him because he was my friend.

"Matsuda won't be here today. He's sick." Motohama said out of the blue.

"That's weird," I started, shoving a hand into my pocket, "That baldy is never sick."

"Yeah, it _is_ weird. Do you think something happened to him?"

"No way," I said as we eventually entered the main building of the school, the high ceilings attracting my attention, "He's not stupid enough to get into a fight."

 **[Observation: Might be a ceiling]**

Gee, thanks. It's not like that's obvious.

"Well, either way, it doesn't really matter. It means we get more time to peek between us." A cheeky grin found its way onto our faces as we turned to look at each other.

"Shall we begin now or save it for lunch time? Kendo club or gym?" Motohama held a hand to his chin in thought as we began our ascent up a flight of stairs. He stopped, turned around and jumped down the stairs two at a time, my heart leaping every time he landed as it seemed as if he'd slip and fall.

"Follow me, comrade!" He shouted, attracting the attention of the people who had surrounded us. Faster than I could say anything, the females gave us death stares and began whispering about us because of our less than stellar reputation, especially when I hesitantly followed Motohama's movements.

Oh well, I thought to myself, ignoring their stares and whispers. Even though I'm an outcast, peeping helps to dull the pain.

* * *

"Hehehe. This is some good stuff, Issei!"

 **[Skill acquired: Peeping]**

"Yeah, it really is!"

 **[Skill acquired: Stealth]**

"I'm surprised they haven't heard us yet."

"To be honest, they are pretty deaf sometimes."

"You're not wrong."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"You know, I feel as if what we're doing is kinda wrong."

"…"

"I mean, isn't this an invasion of their privacy?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"What the hell is wrong with you today, man!? Since when have you had a moral compass?"

"Dude, shut up! They'll hear us!"

"Ah. Crap. I'd like to say I'm sorry…?"

"…"

"So, uhh, want to play rock-paper-scissors to determine who has to be the sacrifice?"

"Sure. But if I lose, you owe me big time."

"Rock-paper-scissors!"

"Rock-paper-scissors!"

 **[Skill acquired: Rock-Paper-Scissors]**

"It's my lucky day today! Issei…I'm sorry, buddy, but I have to go now…"

"Farewell, brethren. I'll see you in the afterlife."

"It pains me to leave you but…oh, crap, they're already here!? Good luck, man!"

"Wait, why aren't they going after you, Motohama!? Motohamaaaaaa! Dammit, why are you guys here already!?"

"What do you have to say for yourself this time, you lecher?"

"I've been ignored!? Ugh…in that case, I regretnothingandpleasesparemylife!"

 **[Congratulations! Due to suffering the wrath of a group of girls with kendo sticks, your VIT has increased by +1! Have you learnt from your actions?]**

 **[Skill acquired: Kowtow]**

 **[Skill acquired: Physical Endurance]**

 **[Warning: Your HP has dropped below 10%]**

* * *

My body was absolutely broken. After peeping for about a good five minutes and then having an existential crisis, the kendo team found out what was happening and beat me up as Motohama fled the scene of the crime.

I don't have to say it but…it hurt. A lot. They tried to hit me where the sun doesn't shine many times but my hands were always there to block the attacks. Because of that, it feels like my hands have broken into a million little pieces and any small movement hurts.

Well, the only good thing to come of that was the fact that I get to rest in the infirmary for a bit. The nurse is busty, sexy and exactly my type. The good thing is that she's not very old; I heard she only recently turned twenty-two, so there's not much of an age gap between us. We're fairly intimate, too.

"Issei, why did you have to go and peek on those girls again? You know you'll get hurt if you do." While I would simply respond with a cheeky grin and rub the back of my head in embarrassment, I felt a strong urge to say something out of character instead, my mouth seemingly moving on its own as my thoughts struggled to catch up with my strange desire.

"It's because the cohort has made me an outcast and it's the only way to release the stress of being bullied. On top of that, my work load for school has been steadily increasing and I'm starting to feel desperate for attention, considering the fact that no one really likes me."

Wow. Did I really just say something that…deep? It's not exactly philosophical because it's the truth, but it's weird for me to say such a serious thing, especially if it's on a whim…is this out-of-character speech a product of my new life!?

 **[Achievement Unlocked: Share your feelings with the school nurse]**

"Oh my. I didn't release that was how you felt, Issei." Because I was lying down on a bed, the nurse sat down on the edge of it and gently rubbed my head. Her raven hair was smooth and long and her onyx eyes were captivating but…it isn't right for me to get all buddy-buddy with the school nurse, is it? Although she's a Yamato Nadeshiko, she's too good for me, dammit!

Averting my eyes from her gentle gaze, a blush spreading across my face, I forced myself to sit up. "…Please ignore what I just said. Although that is how I really feel, it's not as bad as I make it sound." Trying to twist around to stand up to leave, the nurse forced me to lay back down by placing a hand against my chest.

"Just rest here for a moment, Issei. I know how you feel because, believe it or not, I _was_ a high school student once, so I know how important it is to do things that make you feel better. However, if it leads to you being badly beaten every time, it's probably not healthy…oh, I have a great idea! If peeping is how you release your stress, may I help you with a greater service?"

My heart began to beat faster as the nurse lay against my chest, her large melons squishing against me. All I could see was her cleavage and her pale, pink lips as her face inched closer to mine, but I managed to _somehow_ resist my primal urges and gently push her off of me.

"Thanks for the offer, but no thank you. We shouldn't be doing stuff like that. Not when we're at school, anyway." The nurse giggled and, although she appeared to be a little hurt, she left me to go and sit at her desk. She probably had paper work to fill out and, as I stared down at a blue box that had appeared in front of me, I couldn't help but snigger.

 **[Skill acquired: Libido Suppression]**

 **[Title acquired: Gentleman]**

Me, a gentleman? I'm anything but a gentleman! Although, this title _is_ better than _Leader of the Perverted Trio_ …

"Somehow, I can't help but think you have a point, Issei."

"While I feel as if I should apologise, I won't because I have nothing I need to feel sorry for." Is what I murmured in response, the nurse giggling once more. Swivelling around on her chair, the best kind of chair in existence (hint: it's an office chair), she offered me a sweet smile as she scooted just a tad closer to me.

"If you ever feel lonely in class, feel free to drop by whenever your teachers allow you to. Skipping class is bad behaviour and I shouldn't be promoting it, but I feel lonely in here during class times because I'm often alone. Don't you think we'd both benefit from such an arrangement?" I tilted my head to the side in confusion, my brow furrowed.

"Why give me this offer? I'm sure there are people who are more deserving of it."

"Because I know you'd respect my wishes, unlike the other male students." She started, her hands clasped together in her lap, "Your actions before show that."

"What do you mean by 'other male students', though?" The nurse seemed to hold back a laugh as I asked such an innocent question. Although I should know what the answer is, I'd like to believe that it's not what I thought it would be…

"Do you think I'm into girls, Issei?" And there it is. She just confirmed that she is on a sexual conquest and that conquest revolves around me, a perverted high school student. Should I be freaking out or not?

"Isn't it illegal to pursue your students…?" I trailed off as the nurse returned to her desk, a pen already in hand as she appeared to be scanning a document of some kind.

"It is. That's why I followed your advice to not force myself on you at school." I honestly have no counter to that. I mean, is she trying to sound like she's into that kind of stuff?

"Saying something like that, it sounds as if you're deliberately trying to date a student."

"Well, I'm not that old, am I? As I'm sure you've heard through rumours, I'm only twenty-two and you're…seventeen, I think. There's not much of an age gap and you're nearly an adult."

"While your desire to date me sounds wonderful, I'll have to decline. I don't want to put your job at risk." The nurse turned to face me once more and pouted like a child, her cheeks puffing up in an adorable way. I couldn't help but somewhat stare at her.

"That's mean, Issei. I never said I _wanted_ to date you. I just wanted to help you release your stress."

"Being friends-with-benefits is even worse." I quickly responded in a monotone. However, the nurse finally began to laugh and, as I realised that she was stringing me along this whole time, I couldn't help but crack a grin myself. I mean, the conversation was weirdly fun, even if it was a little concerning at times.

"You're not wrong, Issei." She said moments after calming down, a bright smile on her face. "Will you take up my original offer, though?"

"Sure. I don't lose anything, do I?" I responded with a smile that was half as bright as the nurse's.

"Great! In that case, feel free to call me by my name. First or last, I'll leave it up to you." And with a quick wink, she once again abused her chair power to swivel around and continue her work. How many times has she done that?

Anyway, there are more pressing matters at hand…she wants me to call her by her first or last name and I don't even know them. Pretty pathetic if you ask me.

 **[Congratulations! Your relation with Airi Yamato (School Nurse) has improved! You are now friends!]**

 **[Achievement Unlocked: Befriend the school nurse!]**

Well, I know her name now. Thanks, video game life! You're mighty convenient at times.

As I sat up once more, stretching my arms out above my head, Airi glanced at me and spoke. "You should stay here and rest, Issei. You're hurt."

"Although I appreciate your concern, if I'm going to be skipping class from now on, I should really attend it when I can." Slowly standing up and wincing, every muscle in my body screaming in pain, Airi shot me a sideways glare that forced me to sit back down out of a fear of being…told off. Yes, I was scared of being told off by a Yamato Nadeshiko. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?

No, there isn't anything wrong with being scared of a beautiful Japanese woman, so I shook my head to dispel the fear and fell to the side, rolling onto my back with a sigh. "Okay then," I mumbled to myself, staring up at the ceiling, eyelids fluttering several times before they fully closed, my conscious mind slipping away at an alarming rate, "it's not my fault if I fall asleep and miss class, is it?"

 **[Skill acquired: Fear Resistance]**

 **[Skill acquired: Procrastination]**

* * *

 **Acquired Skills**

 **Observation: Level 1/10 – 0.2% EXP  
If you look hard enough, something might pop-up! Keyword: **_**might**_ **.**

 **Peeping: Level 1/10 – 0.3% EXP  
So you want to see the forbidden lands, huh? I'm not jealous. I promise.**

 **Stealth: Level 1/10 – 0.15% EXP  
Let's be sneaky ninjas! Although you'll use this skill for perverted reasons, it really does quieten your footsteps…maybe…**

 **Rock-Paper-Scissors: Level 1/100 – 4.8% EXP  
Huh? You want to play a game? If you win, there's a chance I have to do anything you want? Hah, there's no way you'll beat me!**

 **Kowtow: Level 1/1 – MASTERED  
The legendary art of the kowtow is something all Japanese people have mastered! Well, because you have this skill, I guess I can say you have a shred of decency.**

 **Physical Endurance: Level 1/10 – 26% EXP  
Wow, this makes it so your body can withstand a little more force! Huh? It's hard to level up because most attacks will kill you!?**

 **Libido Suppression: Level 1/10 – 10% EXP  
I'm pretty sure suppressing your libido as a teenager isn't healthy. I'm pretty sure it should be impossible for you to have this skill, too.**

 **Fear Resistance: Level 1/10 – 10% EXP  
Do you like horror movies? Me neither! Knowing that, let's try to not cower in a corner together as scary stuff happens.**

 **Procrastination: Level 1/1 – MASTERED  
When you have homework to do, you decide to waste time on video games and other things instead. Wait a minute…video games aren't a waste of time!**

 **Acquired Titles**

 **Leader of Perverted Trio  
You're the leader of the Perverted Trio at Kuoh Academy. What else can be said?**

 **Gentleman  
You resisted the advances of a lonely girl because you didn't want to bring her any pain. Wait, you did something good for once!?**

 **Acquired Achievements**

 **Start the game!  
Reward: The tutorial!**

 **Share your feelings with the school nurse!  
Because of the accumulated stress of your daily life, you got beat up while peeping and told the school nurse everything!  
Reward: A bit of sexy time!**

 **Befriend the school nurse!  
You have resisted the advances of the sexy nurse and have befriended her! To be honest, I had no faith in your abilities…  
Reward: Friendship with the school nurse!**

* * *

 **There's not much to say here, I think.**

 **Thank you for reading the first chapter of Rock-Paper-Scissors!**


	2. Chapter 2

**[Because you slept in a comfortable bed, your HP and MP have fully regenerated.]**

What a delightful message to wake up to. Normally, I'd just wake up because I'd wake up, but now that my life is a video game, this stuff will be happening all the time. However, while dismissing the message and slowly sitting up, I noticed the orange rays of the evening sun and sighed.

"As I thought, I really did sleep through the whole day…"

I glanced around Airi's office and noticed the lack of life in it. Where was that woman? She's probably in the faculty room or has left to go home already, which is understandable, but isn't it irresponsible to leave a badly beaten student alone?

Well, I am completely fine now for some reason, so I guess there's no issues…

Knowing that I was not injured at all, I stood up and stretched my arms above my head with a yawn, my upper-body leaning back to stretch out as many muscles as possible. Feeling a satisfying crack in my spine and moaning in pleasure, I straightened my posture and grabbed my bag from beside the bed, looping it under an armpit.

Alright, now that the exposition is completed, shall I go home myself? I have hobbies I must indulge in and, if I feel like it, there is exercise I must do. Exercise will naturally increase my stats, right? If they do increase, I won't have to think too hard on what I'll spend my points on.

Knowing me, though, I probably won't leave my room…

* * *

The traffic below me was pretty much non-existent; it was still early in the evening and most people were at home or at work, so it was quite calming to look into the town from this overpass bridge. Why was I here? No particular reason. I felt an urge to come here so I followed through and here I am, wasting my time.

But it was peaceful and beautiful; if I was a photographer I'd take a photo of this scene but everyone knows I don't have a good camera or the patience to take said photo.

There I go, ruining the mood.

Pushing myself off of the railing with a slight frown, I turned to continue on my way, however, the sound of rapid footsteps forced me to look over my shoulder at the girl who was bolting towards me. "P-please wait!" She cried out, a hand in the air as she waved at me.

Confused as to what was happening, I pointed a finger at myself and quickly glanced around, noticing that I was the only person around…

The girl in question, however, did not answer my question. Instead, she came to a stop in front of me, bending over and gasping for air. "Are you alright?" I asked without a shred of concern, staring down at her long, raven hair. She looked up at me, still bent over, with bright, shining purple eyes and cleared her throat, her lips poised to strike.

"Are you Issei Hyoudou?"

"Yes…" I replied to her sudden question, my voice trailing off as I struggled to not stare down at her cleavage.

 **[Libido Suppression: Level 1 is now active.]**

All of a sudden, I found it easy to not stare at such an arousing sight. That'll make this exchange easier, right?

"I have something I want to ask you, if you wouldn't mind…" As she finally straightened her body, I noticed the school uniform she was wearing. It…didn't look familiar with its dark red jacket and green skirt. In fact, I don't recall ever seeing that uniform around town… Does she even live here?

 **[Skill acquired: Deduction]**

 **[Skill acquired: Suspicion]**

"Go ahead." I replied with a restrained smile, aware of the fact that this girl may be up to something no good. She reached into the bag she held in her hand, my heart starting to beat faster than it should. The girl visibly grabbed something, a sickly sweet smile forming on her face as her hair covered her eyes and…

"Will you please go out with me!?" That object was a…pink envelope with a heart shaped sticker keeping the flap shut. As she was slightly bowed, her arms outstretched with her head facing the floor, my mind was racing…

I mean, what the hell am I supposed to do in this situation? I've been confessed to by some cute girl in the street and she even gave me a love letter. Is there some checklist I can run through before I graciously accept or deny her feelings!?

Ok, ok, calm down. Breathe. Take it slow.

Is the girl cute? Yes.

How cute? If it weren't for her purple eyes, she'd be a Yamato Nadeshiko just like Airi.

Are her boobs big? Yes. That's definitely a yes.

How tall is she? Not much shorter than I am.

Is she sincere? She seems to be.

Are you lying about any of the above? …Wait, what kind of question is that!?

Anyway, because I have a duty as a man to accept this girl's innocent, heartfelt feelings, I will take the letter and do what I do best! I will…be a gentleman!

"Well, umm, sure. I'll accept your feelings, I guess." That was not gentlemanly at all! Abort mission! Retry from the beginning of the level! Give me conversation prompts like a visual novel!

Anyway, as I gently took the letter out of her hands, the girl raised her head and gave me an extremely bright and innocent smile. Although I didn't know her or the uniform she was wearing, she can't possibly be a bad person, right?

"Oh, I never introduced myself, did I? My name is Yuuma Amano! It's nice to meet you!" She bowed once more as I awkwardly scratched my cheek, both of our faces slightly red.

 **[Achievement unlocked: Receive a girl's confession!]**

"Ah, I should introduce myself, too. As you already know, my name is Issei Hyoudou. I'm looking forward to our future together."

* * *

The next day, during the lunch break, I decided to abandon Motohama and the now healthy Matsuda in favour of hanging out with everyone's favourite nurse.

Well, it was mainly because I wanted advice on what to do regarding my situation with Yuuma…

"So you want relationship advice, huh?" Sitting down on a chair, I rapidly nod many times in a row in response to Airi's question, expecting an entire lecture on what I should do. "Well, there's not much I can say, if I had to be honest. Just be nice and honest, I guess."

With vague advice like that, anyone could be misled. However, due to my amazing deduction skills, I was able to discern what she meant in the blink of an eye!

"When you say nice and honest, do you mean polite? I assume that applies to etiquette and the way I should hold myself, too." Airi thought about it for a moment, a hand to her chin, before she spoke again.

"I guess so…why are you asking me this stuff, though? I'd say you'd know more than enough about dating if my guesses on your hobbies are right." I harrumphed and turn my head away in disapproval.

"Two dimensional is better than three dimensional because there aren't any variables."

"Hmm…I guess you have a point." Turning around to face her once more, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. Ignoring it for now because I probably knew who it would be (hint: Matsuda or Motohama), I continued the conversation.

"Well, I'm asking you this because I have a date on the weekend." Airi seemed to be taken back by my not-so-sudden statement. It's not surprising that we'd be having a date so soon, is it? I mean, the weekends _are_ the only times we can spend a bunch of time together, so it shouldn't be too surprising.

"That's a long time since the initial confession." I tilted my head to the side in confusion as Airi's statement almost ruined the confidence I had in my dating skills.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You see, in the adult world, us adults will typically go on a first date and then decide if we want to follow through with a relationship. It's the other way around with you kids."

"Does it look like we're adults, Airi?"

"No, but the same concept should apply. Take her out for dinner or something like that. Hell, I'm sure she'd love to go to the arcade." I held a hand to my chin and hummed in thought. While Airi was speaking the truth, I'm an unemployed high school student who receives money from his parents every week to feed his hobbies. Even if I have saved it up for the past few months, it's not a lot because I only get five thousand yen a week…

Wait, that's actually quite a bit. I should have at least sixty thousand by now, so taking Yuuma out today or tomorrow shouldn't be a problem, should it?

"Alright, I've decided. I'm going to take you up on your advice, Airi, and see if she wants to go out today. Thanks for the help." Airi gave me a small smile as I stood up, bag in hand, the other one pulling my phone out of my pocket.

"Good luck."

* * *

Little did I know, that earlier buzz was a text from Yuuma.

'I'm already missing you!' It said, making my heart clench. Ignoring my probably unhealthy chest pains, though, I rapidly smashed the keypad of my phone with my fingers, sending out a response to Yuuma's text.

'If you're missing me, do you want to meet up this afternoon after school and go to the arcade together?'

'Sure!' She responded almost immediately, a grin spreading across my face as my heart began to flutter with joy.

That grin must have seemed creepy to those around me, though, as a few whispers regarding my happiness reached my ears…

* * *

Awkwardly standing at the corner of the park, one hand in a pocket, I glanced at my surroundings as I awaited Yuuma's arrival. I was nervous, that much was obvious, and I had every right to be. I mean, it's my first ever date in my life and it's with a very cute girl. Why wouldn't I be nervous?

While I might seem calm and collected to most, I was definitely feeling the effects of my nerves. My stomach was feeling sick, nausea was beginning to well up inside of me and it took every bit of my strength to suppress the trembling of my limbs.

 **[Skill acquired: Nerve Suppression]**

I managed to take three deep breaths before the nausea and trembling disappeared entirely. For something like a date, do I really need to be so nervous? Wait, is the skill affecting my mental state? It didn't say that it has activated, though, unlike _Libido Suppression_ … Ah, maybe it activates automatically when I unlock it. When I want to use it, I need to active it first, whether it be willingly or unwillingly or consciously or unconsciously.

Yeah, you really do learn something new everyday.

Anyway, now that I was calm and collected…I instantly disabled _Libido Suppression_.

 **[Libido Suppression: Level 1 has been deactivated.]**

It felt as if something inside of me had burst as I felt…strangely disgusted at the thoughts that filtered into my mind. However, this is who I am so I should not be disgusted by what makes me, me!

Just as I thought that, I noticed that Yuuma was standing in front of me, her head tilted to the side in confusion. With a sheepish smile on my face and my right hand instinctively rubbing the back of my head, I offered her my apologies. "Sorry for ignoring you, Yuuma. I spaced out." Understanding spread across her face in an instant and, as I held back a sigh of relief, she wrapped her arms around my very own left arm, pulling it between her breasts. Thankfully, my bag was in my right hand, meaning I could feel all of the softness of her breasts with the arm she had captured.

"That's okay, Issei," She said as she looked up at me with a gentle smile, "I just arrived a moment ago." While the physical contact was almost taking my mind off of our conversation, I managed to ground myself with thoughts of old, naked men.

"Shall we be off, then? The arcade is just a short distance away."

 **[Quest: Date with Yuuma Amano!  
It's your lucky day, kid! You're going on a date with the one and only Yuuma Amano! But you better be careful! You never know when she'll try to kill you…  
Sub-quests: stop her before she transforms, kiss her, see her panties!  
Rewards: Unknown]**

Huh?

Receiving that quest all of a sudden, all I could manage to think with a blank expression was exactly that. The quest was…if I had to describe it, it's rather abstract with it saying that Yuuma is trying to kill me and all that but, if my interpretation is correct, I can prevent my death while claiming a few desired bonuses.

I mentally cleared my throat to banish those perverted thoughts that included mentions of Yuuma's panties.

Even though Yuuma was my girlfriend, she wanted to kill me. Obviously, she was pretending to be my girlfriend so she could kill me easier, but I couldn't help but wonder why she'd want to kill me. I stared down at her with a slight frown, hoping _Observe_ might produce something useful.

 **[Observation: Not a human. Wearing fake uniform.]**

Well, it did produce something useful. Was it because my life was in danger or because I truly wanted to know what was going on? Although, I'd appreciate it if I could see a status window of sorts… Maybe I'll get one by raising the level of _Observe_? Also, why did _Observe_ handily point out the fact that her uniform is that of a fake school? Is it because of my suspicion of it yesterday?

Yuuma looked up at me and immediately noticed my frown. "What's wrong, Issei?" She asked, her sweet voice now sounding like poison to me. Suppressing my desire to frown even more, I forced a smile onto my face that felt natural and tried to sweet talk her.

"Ah, I'm just sad I won't be able to see you a lot because of school."

 **[Skill acquired: Lie]**

 **[Skill acquired: Sweet Talk]**

 **[Skill acquired: Composure]**

Yuuma's face turned red and she looked away from me. She didn't say anything and, if I didn't know she wanted to kill me, I would have called her cute. However, knowledge has a price and, in this case, it's me lying to save my life. "W-well, we could always meet up on weekends and sometimes after school…" She mumbled after a while, cold sweat slowly rolling down my spine.

We weren't even at the arcade yet and I was starting to feel nervous again…I haven't even turned off the _Nerve Suppression_ skill, so I wonder if I'm going past its threshold.

 **[Because of a logical deduction, your INT has increased by +1.]**

Is this really the right time for such a box to appear in front of me? I was fearing for my life and didn't need to know such a thing. Although, because we've mentioned this topic, if I gained an INT point from that small thought, why didn't I get one when I was figuring out how my skills worked?

 **[Because of a mistake on my behalf, you gain another INT point.]**

* * *

We had finally arrived at the arcade.

After walking for about ten minutes with a minimal amount of small talk, such as the discussion of our hobbies filling what would otherwise be an awkward silence, we had arrived at the main stage. Will I live or will I die?

Naturally I want to live so I'll have to try my best to get onto Yuuma's good side and hope she doesn't kill me. If the situation worsens, though, I'll have to do my best to run away or beat her in combat.

Although, I was still confused about a part of the information _Observe_ gave me.

'Not a human.' It said. But what it does mean when it says she's not a human? Yuuma looks human, so she has to be one, right? As far as I know, monsters don't exist, so there's no way she isn't human.

What if she really isn't a human, though? That doubt would linger in my mind if I didn't even consider it so I had no choice but to think of it. I mean, _Observe_ wouldn't lie to me, would it? It was a skill in my video game life so it must be truthful.

Quietly releasing a heavy breath, we entered the arcade.

"So, what do you want to do first, Yuuma?" With rapidly flashing lights and loud music, her attention had been captured by the atmosphere of the arcade. Was she amazed by such a sight? If she really wasn't a human, I don't think she would have seen such a sight before. Thinking of this, the scales that determine Yuuma's status as a human began to tip towards the 'not-human' side.

"What do you recommend?" Yuuma asked as she released my arm, wandering over to a crane game. She peered into it with something that was akin to wonder and proceeded to approach a rhythm game. It was _Sound Voltex_. Easy to learn but hard to master.

"Definitely not that." I muttered as I shoved both of my hands into my pockets, watching as Yuuma observed and played with any machines that seemed interesting to her. That was an exclusive rhythm games and fighting games line-up. Both of them were my specialty, thankfully, so I could teach her and try to get onto her good side. After a while, though, she found a machine that she seemed to really like.

"Hey, Issei, wanna play this one?" It was a fighting game. It didn't look familiar to me because it was fairly new so I wasn't confident in my abilities to play it. However, because Yuuma seemed to be new to this kind of stuff, there was no way I was going to lose. "If you do, we can have a competition!"

I tilted my head to the side. A competition? This can't be good. Not when my life is on the line.

"What would you want if you win?" Although it was probably a bad idea to ask that question, I couldn't help but try and coax Yuuma's wish out of her. I mean, what if she doesn't want to kill me but has to due to various circumstances?

"Hmm…let's see. If I win, you'll do any one thing for me. If you win…I'll show you my panties."

 **[Libido Suppression: Level 1 has been activated.]**

I swear the skill activated by itself!

 **[Libido Suppression: Level 1 has been deactivated.]**

Slowly shaking my head to dispel my naughty thoughts, though, I realised one thing. My life depended on this competition. There's no way she won't ask me to quietly die if she wins, meaning my previous conflicts were all for naught. If I win, though, I get a treat. But is she purposefully baiting me out with what could be an empty promise? But if I don't accept the challenge, there's no way I'll survive because every other path leads to a bad end... With no other good end in sight, I have no choice but to put my life on the line.

"I'll…accept your challenge." I said as cold sweat formed on my back, Yuuma oblivious to my internal conflict. With only one chance, will I win?

* * *

After handing Yuuma a single token, I claimed my spot on my side of the row of machines and inserted the small, circular disk of metal in a slot, a lump of dread forming in my throat. Even though I'm confident in my abilities to win, there was always a chance I could lose and losing…well, I've already established what that would entail and it wouldn't be pretty.

Shortly after my token was inserted, the game announcer, with his obnoxious voice, declared my challenge to Yuuma and I was able to select my character. I didn't even know who to pick because I was new to this game so I chose the character that looked the most attractive, all other thoughts leaving my mind as I confirmed the colour palette.

With no obtrusive thoughts in my mind, it could be said that I was at peak performance. Moments later, our fateful battle had started.

 **[Skill acquired: Focus]**

 **[Skill acquired: Games]**

Waving the blue box out of my face, I stared at Yuuma's character and noticed the way she was moving. Was she messing around with the controls because it was her first time? Faster than I could react, though, she trapped me in a combo that drained half of my health in less than a few seconds.

However, holding the guard button this time, I watched as she tried to initiate the same combo. It was all for naught because I was blocking. Instead of trying the same combo again, learning rather quickly, she managed to grapple my character and throw him to the floor. I watched with pursed lips as Yuuma once again managed to initiate a combo that effectively ended the first round. However, now that I thought she wasn't a beginner at these kinds of games, I could play properly.

At the beginning of the second round, I ducked low and held the guard button. As expected, Yuuma tried to initiate with a low kick.

 **[Skill acquired: Prediction]**

From there, I followed through with an uppercut, a heavy kick and then a special combo that automatically activated, my eyes watching the pixelated screen as my character flew through the motions faster than Yuuma could react. After a short while, her character died due to the onslaught that ensued.

A perfect round.

I was expecting an imminent victory and I was feeling a little careless. Even though Yuuma was able to combo me, she didn't really know how to block so it should be ok if I go a little easy on her. This would prove to be a mistake as my ego got the better of me.

The round began and we both sat still. Instead of Yuuma initiating the fight, it looks like I'll have to do it this time. I slowly breathed in and attempted an overhead kick that would surely get through her low block.

Yuuma's character quickly stood up and perfectly blocked the attack, giving her a chance to sneak in a combo while my character was stunned for half a second. I watched in horror as my health was reduced to a sliver, Yuuma's still in a perfect state.

I had no choice but to block, but even then, if the timer mercifully ran out after two minutes, I'd lose by default due to having the lower health pool. I frowned and watched as Yuuma stood still again, her character unmoving as it stared straight at mine.

I dashed forward and quickly blocked as I predicted her light punch, my character dropping to a knee as a low kick followed. Initiating a combo with a curt uppercut, my character danced through the motions that would lead to a life ending combo that would devastate Yuuma's chances of winning.

However, when I was in the beginning motions of my ultimate attack, Yuuma's character snuck in a light punch that interrupted the activation of such a move. Although I was invincible, I didn't have hyper-armour and was unable to withstand the blow.

I quickly dashed back and poked at Yuuma with a few ranged attacks, watching as our health bars reached a similar level.

"So it comes down to this, huh?" I muttered to myself as a bead of sweat fell from the top of my nose, diving towards the base of the game machine. As soon as the sweat exploded into many smaller drops, both of us shot out a ranged attack that would end either one of us. Yuuma's was low and mine was high and, as I despaired in the fact that I wouldn't be able to block, Yuuma's character stood up for some reason and we were both knocked out.

The battle was a draw.

Unable to believe the odds of such a thing happening, I quietly chuckled and dropped both of my hands to my side, more than happy to know I'd live for a little longer. However, sitting still for a few moments, the character selection screen popping up for the next match, I decided I should go check on Yuuma. I mean, she lost her chance to easily kill me so she would be shocked, right?

Stumbling around the machines to Yuuma's side, I saw an ugly look on her face as she stared at the machine. "How could I have possibly lost…!" She growled through grit teeth. Partially ignoring her human-like words and her terrifying expression, a weak smile appeared on my face.

Yuuma, finally realising that I was right by her, softened her expression and cleared her throat, looking up at me from her seated position. "You're…better than I expected you to be. Nice fight." I said, genuinely praising her. I mean, she did nearly kill me both figuratively and literally, so I felt as if I needed to praise her.

Although, she turned her head away with red cheeks and seemed to ignore my words…

"…Hey," Yuuma muttered in a quiet voice as her eyes met mine, "Because it was a draw, do you wanna play…Rock-Paper-Scissors?" I released a sigh and nod once. What? Even though the first match was a draw, I was still afraid of her killing me for no reason. If I want to ensure my survival, I have to entertain her.

"Sure," I said as Yuuma jumped to her feet, her cheeks still red, "Are the conditions the same?"

"Yes, but if you flawlessly beat me this time I'll let you…k-kiss…me…" Her head was pointed down to the ground as she finished her sentence, both of our faces extremely red in embarrassment. Although the extra I got for beating her would fulfil one of my sub-quests, I couldn't help but feel she was forcing herself to say that… Maybe she's trying to make me forget her unsightly appearance from moments ago?

"Is it a best of three?" I asked, Yuuma nodding once in response as formed fists with both of her hands. All of a sudden, she raised her head, a determined expression on her face as a hand shot out in front of me.

"Are you ready, Issei?" She mumbled as I stared at the outstretched hand. No, it seemed as if I was staring at her hand. Instead, I was staring at the blue box that had appeared in front of me.

 **[Rock-Paper-Scissors Tutorial]**

 **[Welcome to the tutorial for the most useless skill in the game!]**

 **[Now, you might be wondering why there's a tutorial for such a useless skill, but I'll explain why in a moment.]**

 **[Now, when using Rock-Paper-Scissors, your success rate is determined by your LCK divided by the LCK of your opponent and then multiplied by one hundred. For example, if your LUCK was a solid ten and your opponent's was fifty, your success chance is twenty percent. However, because of your starting class, most people have a higher LCK stat than you. In order to compensate for this, there are special skills and other hidden things that will boost your success rate. A good example of this is the Rock-Paper-Scissors skill itself. For every level of the skill you have, you will gain a point five percent bonus.]**

 **[You can use Rock-Paper-Scissors in other ways, too. In fact, I messed up the explanation a bit. If you're playing the game for fun, you don't need a success rate. The success rate will only appear if you make a bet with someone or someone makes a bet against you with your victory leading to something they don't want to do. Most of the time, if you let people decide on what they should do if you win, your success rate only depends on your chances of winning. However, the success rate is also dependent on what is at stake so be careful what you wish for! But, even if you win, your opponents may not follow through with what you ask them!]**

I pursed my lips and held my hand out, understanding but not understanding the explanation at the same time. I mean, I can win and my opponent has a chance of not following through with their end of the deal. That's the part I don't understand. Why? Because it seems kind of pointless.

 **[Rock-Paper-Scissors Success Rate: 28.6%]**

Anyway, seeing my success rate appear in front of me, I immediately knew that that is not good a chance at winning. Although the game, in theory, has a one in three chance of winning, my success rate is lower than a third. That's…actually kind of disappointing. I can't help but wonder how high Yuuma's luck stat is, though. It'd have to be at least thirty, right?

Anyway, I have five stat points available so I should raise my LCK. I don't want to die, after all, so it's okay if I waste my precious points on a…debatably useless stat.

 **[Rock-Paper-Scissors Success Rate: 42.85%]**

Ah, that's a nice increase. I wonder if that's for each individual time I win or for the two times I need to win. Either way, my chances are a little above one third so I'm happy. I just need to rely on my apparently terrible LCK to get me through this.

"Okay, here we go! Rock-paper-scissors!"

"Rock-paper-scissors!"

The results were as follows. I had scissors and she had paper. I…had won the first round without much effort. Yuuma clearly wasn't happy, though, as she bit her lip and retracted her hand. Without saying anything other than the customary chant, we threw our hands out again.

But what were my thoughts during that time? I was panicking as to what I should do. Although this is a luck based game, I still had logical thoughts that may or may not improve my chances of winning. I mean, considering I chose scissors, it'd be likely she'd choose rock to counteract that. If she had a brain, though, she would either pick paper or scissors because I was likely to change to paper or rock.

Indeed, this truly is a game where you have a one in three chance of winning.

However, with a wild stroke of luck, I had won once more. Because I had faith in the worth of a pair of scissors, I was able to cut Yuuma's paper up into shreds and claim victory.

"I-impossible…I lost?" She muttered as she stepped away from me, her face pale in horror. Meanwhile, I was awkwardly laughing while rubbing the back of my head in embarrassment. "Now I have to…no, no way. I can't show you my panties!" Ah, is this the part where she doesn't follow through with her end of the bet? However, because Yuuma seems to be fairly prideful, I came up with a plan that was sure to convince her to show me her panties.

That plan may or may not involve a bit of pressuring.

Ahem.

I tilted my head to the side with a small but smug hum, "Hmm, what's this? The person who put that up for bet won't follow through when they were beaten? Isn't that bad sportsmanship?"

Yuuma harrumphed and turned her head away, however, after a few short moments, she glanced at me and grabbed the hem of her skirt, "F-fine, you pervert. Because this beautiful Yuuma is honourable, she will show you her panties…pervert…"

 **[Skill acquired: Persuasion]**

"Ah, don't forget that you have to give me a kiss, too, because I won twice in a row." Yuuma gave me an embarrassed look as her face had become completely red.

"T-that's nothing compared to showing you my panties, you idiot! Anyway, I'm gonna sh-show you now…" With a brief lift of both hands and exactly three seconds to look at them, I burned the image into my mind. Just in case you're wondering what they were, they were plain black with white, frilly accents. Sexy but innocent, if you ask me.

 **[Skill acquired: Mental Image]**

"Now, shall we continue on our adventure, placing more risqué bets, or will we call it a night?" Yuuma, hands pressing down on her crotch as she released a quiet groan, looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

"I…still have to give you a kiss. Did you somehow forget!?" Ah, that's right. I'm not going to miss the best part, am I? Although I can't believe I forgot about that part after seeing her panties…

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. After seeing your panties, I forgot all about that. But are you going to be as reluctant to kiss me as you were to show me your panties?" As soon as I had finished talking, though, Yuuma closed the gap between us and, with one hand against my chest, planted her lips against mine, the soft sensation sending pleasurable shivers down my spine. Pulling back and turning away with a face that was redder than a tomato, Yuuma crouched down low to the ground and held her hands over face, a quiet cry escaping her lips.

Meanwhile, I was touching my lips in shock. I mean, I didn't expect her to follow through so quickly. I did expect _some_ hesitation. However, there was no such thing as hesitation in the way she moved… After clearing my throat to dispel the awkward atmosphere between us, a small smile appeared on my face as I spoke.

"Shall we leave?" I called out to her, watching as she slowly stood on her feet and spun around. Also clearing her throat, her face barely red now, she too spoke.

"I'm…going to stay here for a bit longer. If you want to leave, I won't mind."

"In that case, I'll stay with you. I can't leave you here alone, can I?" At that moment, as I tried to sound like a gentlemen to a girl that apparently wanted to kill me (yes, I was still doubting her despite the events that had just occurred and the thoughts I was having throughout; there was no concrete evidence that said she wanted to kill me, anyway), my phone buzzed in my pocket. Clicking my tongue and pulling it out, I quickly read the text and shoved it back into the place it came from, a frown immediately forming on my face. "Never mind. I forgot to tell my parents I was coming here and they're worried about me. They want me to go home as soon as possible."

Yuuma nod her head in understanding. "I see. That's alright. In that case, have a good evening."

"Ah, you too. By the way, is our weekend date still on?"

"Umm…if you want it to be. If we can't meet again after school, it'd be nice if it was." I offered Yuuma a small smile.

"In that case, I'll see you on Sunday."

As I turned around, having a reason to almost run towards the exit, I released a very heavy breath as all of the tension and fake emotion left my body. Feeling exhausted all of a sudden, I glossed over the final interaction in my head and sighed. Why did I say what I said?

Unless I had some strange masochistic tendencies, I really shouldn't go on a second date with a girl that may or may not be trying to kill me.

 **[Congratulations! You have completed a quest with the highest standard possible!  
You went on a date with Yuuma and managed to live to tell the tale. She didn't turn into a monster and you got to kiss her and see her panties!  
Reward: +500 EXP, Yuuma Amano Questline Unlocked, Relationship Improvement]**

 **[Achievement Unlocked: Have a successful date with a girl!]**

 **[Achievement Unlocked: Your first kiss!]**

 **[Achievement Unlocked: Kiss your girlfriend on the first date!]**

* * *

 **Acquired Skills**

 **Deduction: Level 1/10 – 12.3% EXP  
So you think you have what it takes to be a detective, huh?**

 **Suspicion: Level 1/10 – 36% EXP  
You have a reason to suspect people of things? How dare you think for yourself! It's not like people will try to kill you if you don't have suspicion!**

 **Nerve Suppression: Level 1/10 – 13% EXP  
So you have to do something in front of people and you're feeling nervous? What are you, a child!?**

 **Lie: Level 1/10 – 25% EXP  
Everyone has something to hide. Well, except for you, considering everyone knows your fetishes…**

 **Sweet Talk: Level 1/10 – 14% EXP  
So you wanna be good with the ladies, huh? Just whisper sweet nothings and everything will be fine, you disgusting pig.**

 **Composure: Level 1/10 – 19% EXP  
Under pressure, you want to stay calm, especially when someone is trying to threaten or kill you. Let's be honest, though. Doesn't everyone want to kill you?**

 **Focus: Level 1/10 – 5% EXP  
If you think about doing something very hard, you may experience an heightened state of mind. Who am I kidding, though? It's **_**you**_ **I'm talking about.**

 **Games: Level 1/100 – 2% EXP  
Games are the lifeblood of society! I mean, your life is a game, so maybe this skill slightly increases your skills and luck with games. **

**Prediction: Level 1/10 – 3% EXP  
So what you managed to figure out what someone's going to do? As long as you don't acquire the ability to look into the future, you're not cheating!**

 **Mental Image: Level 1/10 – 5% EXP  
The ability to create or recall certain images in your mind is kinda useless, isn't it?**

 **Achievements Acquired in Chapter 1 and 2**

 **[Achievement Unlocked: Start the game!  
Reward: The tutorial!]**

 **[Achievement Unlocked: Share your feelings with the school nurse!  
Because of the accumulated stress of your daily life, you got beat up while peeping and told the school nurse everything!  
Reward: A bit of sexy time!]**

 **[Achievement Unlocked: Befriend the school nurse!  
You have resisted the advances of the sexy nurse and have befriended her! To be honest, I had no faith in your abilities…  
Reward: Friendship with the school nurse!]**

 **[Achievement unlocked: Receive a girl's confession!]**  
 **You've grown up so fast! Oh, how I had no hope for you and your future! I hope this relationship lasts for a while…  
Reward: A girlfriend!**

 **[Achievement Unlocked: Have a successful date with a girl!  
You went on a date? And you're Issei Hyoudou? Getting a girlfriend is one thing, but going on a date is on a whole new level of miracle.  
Reward: Relationship increase]**

 **[Achievement Unlocked: Your first kiss!  
Huh? A pervert like you has managed to kiss a girl and I haven't!? This is blasphemy, I tell you! Blasphemy!  
Reward: Nothing]**

 **[Achievement Unlocked: Kiss your girlfriend on the first date!  
So you're a player now, huh? Since when did you have a charisma stat, anyway!? Oh, that's right, you **_**don't**_ **.  
Reward: Relationship increase]**

* * *

 **This is a PSA: chapters won't update as quick or be as long as this chapter. This chapter came out the way it is because I'm really interested in my own premise so much so that it compels me to write more than I normally would. I will try to upload a chapter every Monday, though, but there are no promises.**

 **Thank you for reading Rock-Paper-Scissors!**


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, after a highly refreshing slumber, I was feeling great. I wasn't afraid of dying (that was a lie), I felt comfortable with my circumstances (that was also a lie) and I wanted to peacefully coexist with everyone in the world (once again, that was a lie).

Did I mention I was lying?

Although such a habit is unhealthy for me, if I don't change my mindset I won't be able to do anything. Yes, that was the depressing truth, although, why has such a change come to me? Last night, after staring at my girlfriend's underwear for a very short moment, all was right.

However! Yes, however, an indescribable guilt overcame me on my journey home. I don't why it happened, but there was no need for me to feel this way as she showed me her panties of her own will.

Is this what they call heterogeneity!?

Honestly, I've never understood my feelings so I'll dismiss them with a wave of my hand. If Yuuma asks for an apology, I'll give her one and if she doesn't, she probably never cared in the first place. Problem solved. Now I only have to worry about the prospect of sudden death.

…Sigh. Maybe accepting the feelings of a girl I've never seen before was the worst choice of my life.

 **[Optional Quest: Apology for Yuuma Amano!  
Because of your sudden and unexplained guilt, you feel as if you need to apologise to your girlfriend. Whether you do it or not is up to you so you better act quick!  
Rewards: Unknown]**

* * *

 **[Skill acquired: Sprinting]**

Somehow, running around the track field during PE, I was at the head of the pack, beating that dastardly athletic baseball guy that was gaining on me. Usually, I'd be at the back and would have been overtaken many times already, so what was happening?

Although everyone was surprised by my sudden burst of fitness, I attributed my athleticism to my agility and dexterity stats. I mean, they're at a base of level of fitness and in terms of a video game, being able to sprint for a while without getting puffed is the norm.

Upon the completion of my fifth lap, however, I was really starting to feel my heart beat in my chest. I wasn't exactly out of breath because this level of moment felt somewhat natural to me, but it was still putting a strain on my heart. It didn't help that I had fallen behind and was now in second place, rounding the final corner to complete my seventh lap.

Alright, let's give it our best!

With a great burst of speed, I quickly overtook the baseball guy and maintained my sights on the disapproving glare of the PE teacher in front of us.

Ah, that's right. He said everyone needs to stay as a group and the two of us in the lead are a couple of laps ahead of everyone else…

I took one great step, feeling my ankle almost roll in its socket and took a second, feeling a shoelace from one shoe pull tightly against my foot as I stood on it. Naturally, I took a great fall and fell onto my face, the baseball guy laughing with glee as he easily won our little race.

Needless to say, as I was picking myself up off of the ground, dusting my clothes off with a very large frown, he was berated by the teacher. In the end, he was forced to run another five laps without me because I fell over and 'hurt' myself.

Yeah, me being hurt was just a cheap excuse to slack off and go and see Airi.

 **[Because of your dedication to track and field, your AGI has increased by +1]**

* * *

In the end, my visit to Airi was fairly pointless. She didn't say much and neither did I, but she did treat the scrapes that ran along the length of both arms by disinfecting them and wrapping them up with bandages. It seemed a little overkill but I'm not going to question a qualified nurse's judgement.

That led me to my lunchtime; I was wondering around the campus with Matsuda and Motohama, no clear goal in mind, and was talking about rather pointless things, our favourite porn stars and doujin being an example.

Although I am a man of culture, I had to denounce my friend's appreciation of animated hentai as it was, for some unknown reason, personally disturbing. Real porn and still images were more of my thing, however, Matsuda chased me away with threats of replacing my archives with animated hentai because I was apparently a heretic.

Yeah…you know, I think I'm actually glad to be a heretic in this particular cult. Although my two friends probably respect me just a little less than they used to, I had my opinions and they had theirs so there really shouldn't be any discord between us.

But what am I going to do now? I don't feel like discussing such a seemingly rancid topic with my friends and no one else likes me enough to talk to me, so what is left for me to do? Sure, I could go to the library and study, but who the hell needs to do that when there are better things to do?

Ah, that reminded me of something Airi said to me.

She told me to apologise to Yuuma because I accidentally told her how she had shown me her panties. Despite the fact that she did it of her own will and Airi admitted I wasn't at fault, she advised me that an apology is never a waste of time in a relationship, even if you hadn't done anything wrong.

There is a fault with that logic, though, as apologising too much will make you seem too wimpy.

Oh well. I guess I should follow my senior's advice and apologise.

With that thought in mind, I pulled my phone from my pocket, selected Yuuma's contact number and dialled it, raising the wonderful piece of technology to an ear. After ringing once, twice and then thrice, Yuuma answered my summons and spoke.

"Hello?" She simply spoke, not calling me by my name, and, if I had to be honest, that hurt just a little bit.

"Hey, it's Issei."

"Issei!? Why are you calling me all of a sudden?" Following along from how she didn't call me by my name, does she even have me saved as a contact?

"Well, I thought we could meet up somewhere after school. I want to talk to you about something."

"Huh? You want to talk…? I understand. I'll see you after school."

And with that, Yuuma suddenly disconnected the call, leaving me all alone in the schoolyard with a mouth that was poised to respond.

Although the call felt a little melodramatic towards the end, I couldn't help but feel a little melancholic because of it. Was it because Yuuma may be thinking I want to break up with her like some bad romance manga or was it the hint of sadness in her voice?

Either way, I put the phone back into my pocket and carried on as if the conversation had never happened.

* * *

"Ah." That emotionless sound escaped me as I recognised the girl who was waiting for me at the gates of Kuoh Academy.

That's right. Yuuma Amano, my girlfriend, had personally come to meet me.

I was confused by this, though. I mean, our schools should finish at the same time, right? So how is she here already? Yuuma noticed my gaze and quickly went to explain herself, panic visible on her face.

"I-I left early with permission from the headmaster and came to get you…"

"Oh." I couldn't really say anything in this situation, if I had to be honest. I mean, I can't really refute what she said. Although, how and why did she get permission from the headmaster of her school when she could've asked the administration to let her go?

"Is there a problem with that?" She asked as I slowly shook my head with a retracted sigh, my hands instinctively digging into my pockets.

"No, there's nothing wrong with it. I just wasn't expecting you to do such a thing. Shall we get going?"

As Yuuma awkwardly smiled at me with a crestfallen expression, I could feel many stares penetrate my back at the same time.

Tomorrow's rumours are certainly going to be fun, aren't they?

* * *

Seating ourselves at a table by a window, the afternoon sun casting shadows on Yuuma, we were at a peaceful café. I ordered a mocha and Yuuma ordered lemon tea and we awkwardly sat without moving, staring at each other without any idea of what to say to each other.

I know that I want to apologise but how the hell do I go about doing that? Now that I'm confronted with actually doing it, it's kinda hard to get it out...

"Umm…so, what did you want to talk about?" Yuuma started, fidgeting with the handle of her cup. As I took a sip from mine, resisting the urge to drop the mug as the liquid it contained was too hot, I took a moment to think about the things I actually wanted to say.

 **[Skill acquired: Heat Resistance]**

So, I want to apologise. I know that. Yuuma doesn't know that. Do I mention why I want to apologise or do I leave it vague? Ah, screw it. I should just straight up apologise without dancing around the topic. There's no use in thinking about it and making things awkward when I can get it over with in a few seconds.

"I'll just come out and say it. I'm sorry for yesterday." Yuuma was visibly confused as she tilted her head to the side.

"Why?" She quickly responded, a sigh escaping my mouth as I expected this reaction.

"Well…I made you do something you didn't want to do, right?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You mean to tell me you actually wanted to show me your underwear?" Yuuma's face flushed red as soon as the words left my mouth and she rapidly waved her hands around in front of her face with an alarmed expression.

"I-it's not that I wanted to show you or anything! It's just…I made a bet and had to fulfil my end of the deal." Yuuma lowered her hands as I glanced down at my drink, her red face slowly losing its colour. "That's not weird, is it?"

"No, it isn't. I'd say that's rather noble, though, as most people would try to run away from that responsibility."

"Really?" She mumbled, her words barely audible.

"Yes, really. Now stop being so embarrassed. Although, if I had to be honest, I'm kinda getting some second-hand embarrassment here…" Yuuma giggled and watched me take a sip of my drink.

 **[Skill acquired: Apology]**

Once I had finished and placed my mug back onto the table, Yuuma cleared her throat and closed her eyes, her sharp intake of air very audible from where I was.

You know, I was expecting something great when she did that but when she crossed her arms and turned away from me with a harrumph, I couldn't help but smile wryly as I immediately read her intentions. "Tsundere doesn't look good on you, Yuuma, so please don't try to hide your feelings."

"Right. Sorry." She muttered as she relaxed her body, her position now neutral. Sighing and taking a sip of my drink with the tiniest shred of elegance, I couldn't help but think about how…weird this girl is turning out to be. Don't get me wrong, I like her. It's just the fact that she's doing a lot of things ordinary girls wouldn't do.

"So, umm, what happens now?" Yuuma asked as she too took sips from her drink, throwing glances out the window every so often as we sat in silence. Finally, after taking a moment to think, I responded by placing my cup down on the table.

"Do you want to go somewhere? Although it's getting fairly late, we could go to the mall or the cinemas." Yuuma hummed in thought as she stared down into her now empty tea cup, her hands resting in her lap.

"Well, I don't like how you pay for most of the stuff we do so I'd be content if we simply took a walk." Ah. My wallet feels somewhat happy hearing that. My heart does too.

"Then shall we go?" With Yuuma's nod, I downed the rest of my cup in one mouthful and stood up, grabbing my bag from beside me. Waiting for Yuuma to join me at my side I checked the time on my phone and, realising how late it was getting, I messaged my parents to inform them I probably wouldn't be home for dinner.

Although they'll interrogate me when I get home, that message will bring them the peace of mind they desire.

 **[Congratulations! You have completed a quest!  
You apologised to Yuuma and calmed your guilt-ridden heart. Although this was a selfish thing to do, Yuuma respected your courage and responded kindly.  
Rewards: +100 EXP, Relationship Improvement]**

* * *

Ah, that's right. Yuuma apparently wants to kill me.

Thinking that (more like remembering what I had forgotten) while strolling through the park, the street lamps lighting the way for us, I realised there was no escape from what may as well be my inevitable fate. No one was around, it was dark and there were plenty of bushes and trees to use as cover.

Silently swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat, I stared down at Yuuma beside me and tried my best to inconspicuously look at her face, hoping to find something that was worthy of noticing.

But there was nothing noticeable about her face, not including her beauty. Her eyes were gentle, a small smile was plastered on her face and she seemed ready to hum a small tune. All in all, there wasn't anything wrong with her. Not anything I could see, anyway.

So why was I afraid? Why was my heart beating so fast and why was I resisting the urge to tremble?

 **[Fear Suppression Level 1 has been activated.]**

 **[Nerve Suppression Level 1 has been activated.]**

I released a heavy breath as the skills activated, my body relaxing as all of the hidden tension left it. Yuuma looked up at me and tilted her head to the side with concern visible in her eyes. "Is something wrong, Issei?" I slowly shook my head and offered her a smile in response.

"Nothing's wrong." Accepting my words as they were with a quiet 'oh', Yuuma turned away from me and focused on the path in front of us. Not finding anything fun or useful to do and not knowing what to say to this happy Yuuma, I began to spam my observation skill on my immediate surroundings in an attempt to level it up.

What? There's seriously nothing else to do so don't judge me with those eyes.

 **[Observation: A tree.]**

 **[Observation: A bush.]**

 **[Observation: Maybe a park bench.]**

 **[Observation: Maybe not a human.]**

Maybe not a human, huh? Wait, what?

Glancing at the only park bench I could see and noticing the little girl that sat on it, finding this encounter mighty convenient for various parties, my heart began to beat faster as yesterday's situation at the arcade replayed in my mind.

I decided to observe the girl once more to make sure the observation was consistent and that me freaking out was internally justified.

 **[Observation: Goth loli.]**

 **[Observation: Not human.]**

As I opened my mouth to tell Yuuma of this girl's status of not being a human, I quickly closed it as I remembered that Yuuma was in the same boat. Because this encounter seems to be staged, the two people must be affiliated in some way and giving away the girl's identity may as well get me killed. And, as the girl jumped to her feet with a glare, standing in our path, I couldn't help but sigh as me staring at her probably gave us away.

"Is there anything you need?" I asked as Yuuma and I stopped in the middle of the path, the girl now approaching us without a sound.

"I'll never need anything from a person like you." She suddenly spoke as she came to a stop in front of us, her despicable attitude making an eyebrow twitch. Honestly, is there something wrong with this girl? She's showed nothing but hostility so far. Well, considering my life may be on the line, I can only be amicable to avoid a sudden death.

"Then you need to speak with Yuuma, right?"

"Of course I do! Now get out of my way." As the girl reached out to grab Yuuma's hand while speaking, I stretched an arm out in front of my girlfriend to stop the girl's reach.

"If you need to talk to Yuuma so urgently it must be something I can hear." Glancing down at Yuuma to see a nasty glare on her face, I quietly gulped and gazed at the girl in front of us, unsure as to who that glare was pointed at. Either way, I wanted to avoid a conflict so maybe my actions were the right ones to make.

Actually, maybe not.

As the girl grabbed at something that was forming in the air, obviously creating something that was going to kill me, Yuuma stepped forward and slapped her across the face, the girl recoiling in shock as she gathered her words. "You…you dare to protect this human filth?" Not wanting to take part in this high school drama, I rapidly looked around for something that would grab my attention.

It happened to be the box that had appeared in front of me. Convenient, right?

 **[You have observed the application of a magic and it has been registered to your skills.]**

 **[Skill acquired: Light Magic]**

 **[Skill acquired: Mana Manipulation]**

 **[Your skills appear to be messy. Would you like the system to automatically sort them by application?]**

I let the system sort my skills, glanced up at the red mark on the girl's face and sighed, dismissing my menus as I clearly needed to return to reality. I opened my mouth to say something regarding the situation, however, before I could do so, Yuuma stepped forward and beat me to it, the girl backing off by a few steps in what was obviously fear, "If you touch Issei, Mittelt, I'll make sure you suffer for the rest of your life."

Hold up. Doesn't that sound a little brutal? Well, if Yuuma really is in love with me, she obviously doesn't want me to die so that threat is understandable. But this light feeling in my chest…after hearing Yuuma's words, is this what it's like to be in love?

After a couple of uneventful seconds and with a mighty huff of annoyance, Mittelt crossed her arms under her small chest and turned away, walking off into the trees with heavy steps. "If you don't hurry, _Raynare_ , I'll finish the mission myself."

And with that, Mittelt was gone, leaving Yuuma and I in the middle of the park with an uncomfortable atmosphere between us. Was it because of Mittelt's final words or was it Yuuma's actions? Either way, that name Mittelt called Yuuma was pretty weird. In fact, I couldn't help but say it aloud because I'm pretty stupid.

"Raynare…" I mumbled with a furrowed brow as Yuuma dusted her clothes off with a sigh. "That name. Why did she call you by that, Yuuma?" Yuuma's cheeks turned red as I spun to face her. All of a sudden, the atmosphere was considerably light as Yuuma went on to speak her defence.

"Mittelt's a chuuni and she insists on calling me by that name. So please don't mind her." Because of various factors I have come across these past twenty-four hours, I didn't believe Yuuma. However, if I didn't have the observation skill or my video game ability in general, I most likely would have believed in her words. I can be pretty stupid like that. But aren't there a few obvious things that would have pointed out her fallacy?

A good example of this is that magic Mittelt was going to use to kill me.

My face paled and my blood ran cold as I realised what I had just said.

If Mittelt is affiliated with Yuuma and Mittelt wants to kill me, doesn't that mean Yuuma also wants to kill me?

Because I am now one hundred percent sure Yuuma wants to kill me, it's best to get out of dodge. However, before I do that, I have to make sure Yuuma doesn't suspect anything.

"Oh…okay," I muttered in response to Yuuma's statement as I shoved my hands into my pockets, trying to act as natural as I could, "Shall we continue?" Although I desperately wanted to get out of here as quickly as I could, I needed to try and sound like I didn't so I could. Does that make sense?

 **[Skill acquired: Acting]**

Luckily for me, Yuuma sighed and shook her head, "Mittelt ruined the mood for me. I don't mind if you want to continue, though."

"No, it's alright," I replied with the wave of a hand, "I don't mind ending it here. Do you want me to walk you home?"

"I should be fine, Issei. Thank you for the offer, though." With a small smile and the wave of a hand, she turned around and walked away, my eyes watching her retreating form until I could not see her anymore due to the shrubbery. Needless to say, I was internally jumping for joy at this sudden development. Does this mean I'm going to live to see another day!?

Although, now that I was suddenly all alone, I couldn't help but feel exhausted as today's events have drained me of my vitality. It didn't help that the prospect of sudden death was greater than it was yesterday, either, so I couldn't help but sit on the bench and lean back as far as I could to try and cope with the information.

"What have I gotten myself into now?" I muttered as I stared up at the stars.

 **[You have detected a dungeon in the area. Would you like to enter it?]**

* * *

 **Acquired Skills**

 **Sprinting: Level 1/10 – 2% EXP  
Gotta go fast!**

 **Heat Resistance: Level 1/10 – 0.5% EXP  
You can masturbate furiously without sweating with this skill! Isn't that useful!?**

 **Apology: Level 1/10 – 50% EXP  
The ability to make people forgive you is important, especially if you're in a bad situation! Considering your school activities, though, this skill will improve quite quickly…**

 **Light Magic: Level 1/10 – 0% EXP  
You can manipulate the light in your surroundings to create things!? That's cool! Wait, it's effective against undead and demons?**

 **Mana Manipulation: Level 1/10 – 0% EXP  
You can manipulate the mana in the air to do some cool stuff like destroying someone's clothes at will! I know you won't do that kind of stuff, though…wait a minute.**

 **Acting: Level 1/10 – 5% EXP  
The journey to convince people of your emotions or status is kinda hard, so you should be glad there's a skill for this. You do have no charisma, after all.**

 **Stat Sheet**

 **NAME: Issei Hyoudou  
LEVEL: 4  
EXP: 100/400  
AGE: 17  
RACE: Human  
CLASS: Hentai Fiend  
Title: Leader of Perverted Trio  
HP: 160/160  
MP: 7/7  
STR: 15  
VIT: 16  
AGI: 11  
DEX: 10  
INT: 7  
WIS: 5  
LCK: 15  
POINTS: 10**

* * *

 **I know this chapter took a while to come out. I won't promise anything but, starting next week, I'll try to upload every Monday. Don't expect greatness, though. My dedication to this will be pretty flimsy at times because that's the way I am.**

 **Thank you for reading Rock-Paper-Scissors!**


	4. Chapter 4

**[You have entered the dungeon the dungeon** _ **Kuoh Park: Night.]**_

As soon as that messaged had appeared in front of me, I knew I was going to regret my decision. Why? Well, the moon turned red and a heavy fog descended upon my surroundings, obscuring my vision. I could only see approximately five meters in front of me and even then I could barely see my own hands when holding them out in front of me.

It didn't help to know what happens in horror movies that have a setting like this, so I was obviously afraid. Scared for my life? No, not yet. I hadn't even seen a monster yet so why would I think I was going to die?

Although, I couldn't exactly hear or see anything, so I had no clue as to what may be beyond my limited vision.

Ah, yes, that's right. Now that I have noticed it, there was nothing but an oppressive silence blanketing the park as the distant sounds of traffic and people had become non-existent. Were my fear levels rising? Definitely.

Sighing and resisting the urge to tremble, I decided to make my way out of this park. I mean, the conditions aren't exactly favourable and I don't know what I'm up against, so I'd prefer it if I wasn't stabbed in the back without knowing what had happened.

I don't even know anything about this dungeon, either. I only know its name and that's it, but I could guess it contained some kind of demonic or undead creature in it because it's a night dungeon. Maybe there were even ghosts, but who knows what is lurking beyond the curtain of fog?

 **[Because of a logical deduction, your INT has increased by +1.]**

Well, I wasn't exactly wrong in thinking that, was I? I've played too many MMOs and RPGs to even count, so I definitely know my stuff. Although, that stat message kind of implied there were undead and demons around.

Never mind that, though, as I believe I have found the exit! Actually, that was pretty quick, wasn't it? Was I walking faster than usual because I was afraid or is space warped in this somewhat large area?

Ah, who cares about that pointless stuff? I just want to go home.

I approached the large gate that had appeared in front of me and tried to force my way through it, seeing nothing but a large wall of fog on the other side that offered no views of the outside world. Thinking this strange, I attempted to stick an arm through the gate and wall of fog and winced as it felt as if I had straight up punched a brick wall.

 **[Exit Conditions: Defeat 5 Lesser Undead.]**

So there are exit conditions, huh? And the exit condition is to defeat five lesser undead, whatever that means. Wait, if my gamer sense is right, those are harmless zombies and whatnot, right? So if I find five zombies and literally kick their heads in, I should be able to leave.

Although, finding a monster to fight in this fog may prove to be more difficult than I think it is. I mean, no sight and no sound? This is going to be fun.

* * *

After a few moments, I had encountered my first enemy.

A short silhouette in the fog, limbering around, they seemed like the perfect target. I mean, as I got closer, their quiet groans revealed their status as a zombie or other similar undead, so they literally were a perfect enemy because I was weak and kinda slow.

Yeah, I should probably become stronger so I can fight more powerful beings.

Anyway, I cautiously approached the silhouette and, as their form appeared through the fog, I recoiled and resisted the urge to run away. Sure, running away would be cowardly, but this zombie looked extremely scary.

With grey, decayed skin and sunken eyes, blood covering the front of their suit and their guts spilling out, they were the essence of an undead human who had risen once more.

I respectfully resisted the urge to vomit then and there.

However, as the undead turned to face me, I actually vomited. In fact, I could almost taste the mocha I had earlier as it left my throat. Delightful. To simply explain the next chain of events, I was dragged to the floor by the undead while vomiting, grabbed him by the neck to stop him from biting me as I choked on chunks of my lunch and somehow managed to throw him off of me, rolling onto my side straight away to clear my throat.

Scrambling to my feet with a cough and a splutter, the undead copying my movements, I took a moment to regain my breath. Although, the undead didn't give me enough time to do that as he lunged at me once more. To avoid a probably dire fate, I stepped to the side to dodge his attack and watched as he fell onto his stomach with a groan.

I stared down at him in pity as he squirmed around on the floor, however, without any hesitation, I crushed his skull under my foot and vomited once more, watching as the corpse of the zombie was covered in bile.

* * *

I came across a fountain and sighed in relief, my clothes permeating a putrid mixture of stomach acids and dried up blood. It had only been a while since my first kill, but I was craving for more. Feed me undead blood!

On second thought, please don't. The undead scare me because they look horrible, sound like they need to constantly clear their throat and groan very loudly. Needless to say, I didn't like this dungeon as it was less than desirable.

Is it possible to get PTSD from such a thing? Maybe.

Anyway, I took my blazer and red undershirt off and washed them in the oddly clear fountain water. Luckily, nothing seemed to be wrong with the thing as the pure water was slowly dyed an odd brown colour. Although I was probably being too cautious, thinking this was some kind of trap, I had to be careful. I mean, I _am_ in a dungeon that feels like it's straight out of an RPG. Anything could happen.

After wringing my clothing out with a grunt, I put my shirt back on, tied my blazer around my waist and went to unzip my pants, also intending to wash them. However, when I thought about it, exhibitionism wasn't exactly a fetish I wanted to partake in when there are zombies around every corner. They may bite my precious weaponry off by accident.

I shuddered at the thought of that occurring.

So, with a deep and hefty sigh, I sat on the edge of the fountain and stared through the fog, my lips pursed as I thought about my next course of action.

Well, there wasn't really any kind of plan in my head. I was scared of the undead, they wanted to desperately kill me and I needed to kill five of them to get out of this place. Not wanting to suffer at the hands of the deceased, there wasn't really anything I could do to get out of here if I didn't fight them, so I only had one choice.

It's time to hunt some zombies.

* * *

Like any good protagonist in a work of zombie related fiction, I wasn't acting dumb like before. Instead of rushing the undead and giving my position away, I cautiously approached it from behind with barely audible footsteps.

Is this the effect of my _Stealth_ skill!?

It apparently was as I could almost _feel_ the power of a ninja growing inside of me.

Just kidding. Nothing changed.

Anyway, as the undead aimlessly stumbled forward with no goal in mind, I dashed up to it and kicked it behind its kneecap, forcing it to drop onto its knees as the natural reactions of the body did not change even after death.

Quickly forcing it to fall flat onto its face with a second kick to the back, I bounced over to its head and raised my foot.

 **[Acquired skill: Hand-to-hand Combat.]**

* * *

Eventually, I managed to escape the dungeon; the fog wall was not present anymore and I could leave the damned place. My clothes were bloodied (I had given up on cleaning them at the fountain after the third kill as the water almost black with blood) and my feet were sore.

But, despite the hatred I garnered for my current state of dress, I was alive.

 **[Defeated five Lesser Undead: +82 EXP]**

And here is where I gained my well-deserved EXP in a cumulative fashion. Not minding why the EXP was gained upon exiting the dungeon and not after killing a monster (it didn't really matter to me because I was sure I wouldn't willingly enter another dungeon for a while), I decided to head home.

Although, heading home in my current state of dress, isn't it likely the police would stop and ask me a few questions? I can't say, "Mister Officer, I just killed some zombies in the park over there," because it's something a chuuni would say and I _was_ covered in blood, so the chances of me being arrested were high.

However, the blood mixed in well with my shirt and my blazer barely had any on it due to being tied around my waist, so I only had to worry about my pants, shoes and bag. But, for my bag, can't I just say it's a graphic I unlawfully applied without the school's permission? And for my pants, I could just say I spilt a lot of ketchup on them. That just leaves my shoes and the harsh reality that no matter what I say, the police would still pull me up for looking suspicious.

Well, I can only take the backstreets and hope for the best, although, when I reach suburbia, I shouldn't have to worry too much.

* * *

"I'm home!" I shouted while kicking my shoes off, the front door already locked behind me. Checking the time on my phone, the planet already on its nineteenth hour of the day, my mom welcomed me home as she poked her through the living room doorway, her expression souring as she noticed the state of my clothes.

"Ise, did you get into a fight today?" Glancing down at my uniform and bandaged arms and sighing, I stepped onto the wooden floorboards of my home, briefly acknowledging the fact that Yuuma, my girlfriend, did not show me she cared for me by asking about my wounds

My brain trembled as my heart sunk.

"No. Although it looks like I did, I fell over at PE and spilt ketchup on myself." My mother furrowed her brow as she hummed in thought, trailing my body with her eyes. Eventually, she shrugged her shoulders and walked off, leaving me to sigh in relief.

"Oh, about this afternoon…did a girl finally ask you out on a date?" I resisted the urge to sigh as I waltzed into the living room, dropping my bag in the doorway before I dived onto a couch.

Strangely enough, I was hit by a sudden wave of fatigue, although, it made sense considering the things I went through this afternoon. My mother didn't seem to appreciate me ignoring her, either, as she raised her voice.

"Are you going to answer me, child of mine? If you don't, it'll create unnecessary misunderstandings!" I glanced over at my mother, who was busy dancing around in the kitchen to prepare dinner, and subconsciously sighed.

I swear that's the only thing I know how to do in these situations.

"I'd like to say it doesn't concern you too much, mom, but I know you'd get mad. To answer you question, I just had an outing with some people I know." My mother glanced at me from over her shoulder with narrowed eyes before she returned to what she was doing, cutting up potatoes and carrots with a big, scary knife.

"Is it the horrible Matsuda and Motohama?"

"I don't get why you don't like my friends, but no. It isn't them."

"Then who is it? Is it that Rias girl everyone at your school likes?"

"Hah, I wish," I said as I grabbed the TV remote, flicking the wonderful technology on to watch mind numbingly boring children's anime. You know, I never understood why they play the more adult stuff super late into the night, "I'd literally be crucified if I had any kind of interaction with her."

"That's harsh."

"You don't say." I sarcastically responded, a small frown appearing on my face, "It's almost as if she's a queen or heiress or something."

After that, there was a short moment of silence, the obnoxious voices and cries of the TV filling the gap. Eventually, though, my mother spoke once more, not wanting to leave me be.

"I know it's a girl, Ise. You can't hide that from me."

"Your intuition surprises me sometimes." I absentmindedly responded as my focus on the TV was too great, my heart sinking moments after I had realised what I had said.

"So it _is_ a girl! My son, he's going to lose his right to be a wizard, isn't he?" Wait, how does my mom even know of that abomination of a joke!? It's every man's worst nightmare to become a wizard, dammit, so it's not something she should be joking about, especially when she constantly harasses me about having children in the future! "Tell me, Ise, is she cute?"

"I'm not saying anything else, you know! I've already told you enough!" My mother snorted as she turned around to face me, the knife raised in the air as if it was an extension of a finger.

The comfortable atmosphere became bone chillingly cold all of a sudden.

"You can't hide anything from me, Issei. I know everything about you." And, like a professional stalker, she slowly licked her lips with a devilish giggle.

"That…sounds creepy as hell." With that, mom turned around with a smirk and got back to work, her repetitive chopping sounds becoming less frequent. After a while, she slid a board of vegetables into a pot of boiling water. I opened my mouth to speak.

"Because I know you're about to ask what's for dinner, I'll let you know we're having curry on rice." I closed my mouth again and pursed my lips, silently cursing my mom's innate ability to do stuff like that. I mean, it's kinda creepy, isn't it?

"Isn't it too hot to have curry on rice? It's not exactly winter and it'll be summer soon, so I don't understand why we're having it." I said, making sure I left no room to give my mom a chance to counter me.

"We're having it because your dad has been craving it this past week."

"Oh," I responded, acknowledging my mother's right to be a worthy opponent, "that makes…sense? Anyway, I'm gonna go bathe now because I'm dirty." With that, I slowly pushed myself to my feet and left the room, my mom thankfully keeping her mouth shut.

* * *

After devouring my dinner, my parents conversing amongst themselves, I respectfully retreated to my holy sanctuary after cleaning the dishes. Sitting on the floor, legs crossed, I slowly breathed in and out with shut eyes.

What was I trying to do? While my parents would say I'm meditating if they walked in on me now, I was actually trying to summon my magical powers to test the limits of my abysmal MP. How exactly was I supposed to do that? I don't know. That's why I'm probably wasting my time sitting here doing nothing.

I mean, I can't exactly feel the mana that should be inside of me. Nothing feels different about my body and I don't feel the mana run through my blood as it does in fantasy novels, so I couldn't help but start to despair.

Acquiring magic and then not being able to use it is something to be sad about, right? I'm not weird for panicking, am I?

Either way, nothing seemed to be happening. So, knowing that I had wasted what felt like half an hour of my time, I slowly stood up and stretched my arms above my head.

Maybe I'll come to some kind of conclusion tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up expecting to go to school, however, I had forgotten to wash my blood soaked uniform and shoes. Confiding in my mom, who obviously knew best in these situations, she told me to not worry about it and take the day off.

I mean, I have near perfect attendance so far, so taking one day off wouldn't hurt. It's not like there's any major things I'll miss, either, so there's really no problem. Although, I found myself with no purpose and nothing to do.

While I could watch anime or play games or masturbate, I didn't exactly feel like doing any of those things. Those are the lifeblood of my teenage existence, so without wanting to do something that I considered to be fun, what was I supposed to do?

Was I supposed to exercise? Laze around all day doing nothing? Study?

No, I wasn't going to do any of those things.

I was going to try and use my mana.

Well, considering the process I'd use to try and use my magical powers, I guess I was lazing around doing nothing. Just like the previous night, I sat still in my room and tried to focus on something that was inside of me. I was reaching out for it, digging through the lecherous insides of my body, trying to grasp the small seed that would inevitably sprout an Yggdrasil.

Well, it might not be an Yggdrasil in the end, but you get the point.

After a while, though, my lack of concentration was disturbed by my phone as it buzzed on my desk. Cracking an eye open and glancing at my desk with a frown, I jumped to my feet and grabbed it. Turning it on, the first thing I saw was a text from Yuuma.

" _Hey, Issei, I heard you're not at school. Want to come over to my place?"_

Needless to say, my spirit as a teenage boy was flaring and my perverted thoughts were running wild, despite the fact that _Libido Suppression_ was currently active.

* * *

 **Hey. It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, I've been busy with school and work. I'm in my last year of school so 'studying' is really important. Anyway, this is the fourth and final version of this chapter. Wasn't satisfied with the other three versions but I still have them, so if you want to read them, just message me and I'll PM them to you. They're incomplete, by the way.**

 **Thank you for reading Rock-Paper-Scissors.**


	5. Chapter 5

I rose an eyebrow as we waddled out of the brush, the large, slightly gothic structure imposing itself on me with plenty of vigour. Glancing at Yuuma who stood beside me, a grin on her face, I stepped towards the large structure and stopped short of the large, double doors that appeared to be made out of an old but hard wood.

"You live here? In this church?" Yuuma, who was wearing a short black skirt, a yellow knitted sweater, thigh highs and brown ankle boots, sighed from behind me.

"Does it look like I'd live in a place like this?" This out of character remark was slightly shocking to hear, however, as she stood beside me and pushed the right door open with a grunt, I spoke once more.

"But you asked me if I wanted to go to your place. Doesn't that usually mean your house?" The door swung open with a mighty creak and, before she stepped into the dark interior of the building, she set her gaze on me from over her shoulder.

"You were thinking of something dirty when I sent you that message, weren't you?" With a furious blush spreading across my face, I vehemently denied Yuuma's offhanded remark and followed after her, marvelling at the insides of the building.

To put it simply, it was a rather nice building to look at because of its high ceiling and stained glass windows that let the light in to penetrate the darkness, creating a humble and gentle ambience. However, not mentioning the rows upon rows of pews and the altar at the very back of the building, it was fairly empty and held nothing more than lavish carpets.

What the hell would Yuuma even do in here?

"So, what do you think?" She spoke, almost as if she was reading my thoughts. Standing next to her and folding my arms across my chest, I spread my gaze across the interior once more. The door slammed shut behind us.

"It's pretty empty."

"Yeah, it is."

"…What do you even do in here?" I asked, watching as Yuuma took a seat on a pew that was closest to me. She patted the spot beside her with a small smile, seemingly waiting for me to claim my spot next to her.

As I slid onto the seat next to her, my hands idle on my knees, she responded. "I like to sit in here and absorb the atmosphere, you know?" I furrowed my brow in response.

"You mean to tell me you just sit here doing nothing?"

"Pretty much. Sometimes I'll read or sleep or do other things." I couldn't help but want to ask what these 'other things' were, but I managed to restrain myself, knowing that dirty thoughts would fill my mind.

"It seems…kinda boring." Yuuma nod once.

"It is."

"Then why do you even come here?"

"Because I have nothing better to do."

"So you don't have any friends or a part-time job or any hobbies that would fill your time?"

"No, not really."

"Oh." Was all I could say in response, not believing her in the slightest. I mean, if her skills at the arcade the other day were anything to go by, she must visit it quite often. Although, because I was fearing for my life in some minor way, I didn't bring that up lest I make a somewhat grave mistake.

But with nothing else to say, we awkwardly sat in place, refusing to meet each other's eyes. After a moment, I glanced at Yuuma and saw her hands fiddling around in her lap. I quietly sighed and turned away, observing my surroundings once more as I composed my thoughts.

With my life on the line, shouldn't I be thinking of things to say to delay the inevitable? Small talk, forced attitudes and conversations – all of them were probably pointless as the high amount of tension, both sexual and violent, wouldn't be broken by mere icebreakers. I was pretty much a socially awkward kid too so I couldn't find it in me to build up the courage to speak.

Now staring up at the roof, not knowing what to do or say, I observed the pattern of the flaking paint on the ceiling, tracing the cracks with my eyes. Finding this potentially life-threatening encounter rather mundane, the eventual swaying of the trees in the wind disturbed the awkward and deafening silence. Yuuma took this opportunity as a chance to display her courage as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Say, Issei…" I hummed in response, glancing at her several times as she slowly twisted her body, her hands firmly planted on the pew as she leaned closer to me. Through the power of the holy skill _Libido Suppression_ , I managed to not look at her large chest and swallowed a lump that had formed in my throat instead, my cheeks feeling a little hot as my heart sped up, "Do you…really love me?"

 **[Libido Suppression has levelled up. Libido Suppression: Level 2/10, is now active.]**

In an instant, my mind calmed down and my cheeks became cold, a quiet sigh escaping my lips as my beating heart slowed down.

"Of course I do, Yuuma. Although we've only known each other for a short time, it's been fun hanging out with you." Thanking whatever god was out there for my completely normal speech, I watched as Yuuma placed a hand on my cheek, turning my head to face her. While I was staring into her gentle, violet eyes, I pivoted my body so I was sitting on an angle while facing towards her and leaned in closer, her eyes closing as I did so.

As our lips were about to connect, the hair on the back of my head stood straight, my entire body seizing up as my danger sense began to run wild. With a forced smile, I pulled my head back, cold sweat steadily forming on my back, and Yuuma opened her eyes. She tilted her head to the side, looking very cute, as she spoke.

"Is something wrong, Issei?" I turned my head away lest my danger sense fade away from a false sense of security and scratched my cheek in false embarrassment.

"I do love you, Yuuma, but I don't think we've known each other long enough to see where this road would end." As Yuuma corrected her posture, I swear I heard her click her tongue in what would be disappointment.

 **[Acquired skill: Mana Detection.]**

If it wasn't for this skill, I may as well be dead; as I was leaning in to kiss Yuuma, I felt something spark in the air and change in an instant, an exciting energy filling the space right behind my heart. Leaning back seemed to have dispelled the compression of the mana behind me…

I held back the urge to sigh and turned away from Yuuma, an awkward silence falling upon us. Not speaking, not moving and not willing to acknowledge each other's presence, we both sat in this abandoned chapel with nothing to do.

That was until the doors were slowly pushed open.

The bright light pouring through the door, momentarily blinding me, I used an arm to shadow my eyes and squinted, trying to make out the figure of the person who had entered the building. To say there were beyond my expectations was probably logical.

I mean, with golden blonde hair and emerald green eyes, wearing what appeared to be a peculiarly unique nun uniform, a girl entered the building with heavy breath. As it seemed as if she was unable to breathe, I made a movement to stand up to go to help her but Yuuma beat me to it.

Jumping to her feet and wandering over to the girl, Yuuma spoke to her. In English. I was unable to discern the contents of their conversation bar a few words and phrases, but I was able to pick up the blonde girl's name.

Her name was Asia.

I assumed it was spelt like the continent but it was definitely pronounced differently.

However, after a few minutes of exciting uneventfulness, Yuuma and the girl walked over to me, a suitcase trailing behind them.

"Issei, this girl is Asia. She's come from abroad on business regarding my father's co-worker's field of expertise." From that short sentence, I could tell that Yuuma was implying I should leave, something I would gladly do when considering what was about to happen to me. So, with a sigh and a weak smile, I pushed myself to my feet and nod once.

"Alright, I get it. I'll leave and let you do whatever it is you need to do." I left the building with a natural, calm stride, cold sweat running down my back. After a few meters, the door slammed shut behind me, however, I did not look back as two thoughts appeared in my mind, my next step faltering as I pursed my lips.

Yuuma definitely wanted to kill me, that much was now obvious, and that Asia girl was probably in danger.

* * *

Now that I was all alone, I had nothing to do again.

Trying to discover my mana was probably going to be a waste of time again, despite having the _Mana Detection_ skill, so I was stuck with nothing to do. Thinking back to what my options were before Yuuma messaged me, none of them were exactly appealing anymore so I was left wondering the streets with my hands in my pockets.

In the end, I head off to the arcade with what little money I had on me.

What did I play for a few minutes?

Nothing other than _Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Arcade_.

Why did I play it?

Because virtual idols are cute and because it's one of the easier rhythm games around.

Yeah, I kinda suck at rhythm games but they're my passion. Music is good and so is Miku, so there was no contest in my decision. However, I was only able to play for a short while due to my lack of physical currency and wallet, so I left the arcade feeling a little bitter while once again not feeling like doing anything.

I mean, exercise? Nah, I'm lazy.

Find another dungeon? Nah, monsters are scary.

Play games at home? I really don't want my mom to find out I play eroge or _Gal Gun_.

Go to school? I can't really turn up to school without my uniform.

Continue to think about this crap without doing anything productive? Yeah, that sounds like a me thing to do.

Although it was wasting time, it was filling my mind and was acting like a filler while the gods ironed out the plot that is my life. Thinking of that, would something even happen today? I mean, I'm not omnipotent or omniscient…

* * *

"…Nine…ten…!" Ten push-ups was all it took for me to collapse onto my stomach. I was weak, I knew that, but I thought that I would be able to do at least twenty. Turns out I was wrong. Sit-ups weren't any better nor were squats; what was my STR stat for if I couldn't even do push-ups that were equal to its value? What even is its value!?

Oh, maybe I need to surpass that unknown number through mental willpower alone to naturally increase the stat. Although, I'm probably not even going low enough when doing push-ups so I'll need to slowly build up to it. Same goes for squats and sit-ups where the sit-ups are pretty much crunches.

Yup, I'm definitely weak. The only thing I probably have going for me is my AGI and maybe my LCK.

I think I have ten stat points to invest from level-ups, though, so maybe I should waste all of them on STR, VIT and AGI. Actually, should I become a speed-based build or strength orientated? Tank, DPS or…a unique build. Crit-based wizard? LCK based priest? There's so many options and not enough skills or insight for me to make a decision.

Actually, I haven't even seen my status screen ever since the tutorial showed it to me, even though I poured stat points into LCK when playing rock-paper-scissors with Yumma!

Oooooh, it popped up with a single thought!

 **NAME: Issei Hyoudou  
LEVEL: 4  
EXP: 182/400  
AGE: 17  
RACE: Human  
CLASS: Hentai Fiend  
Title: Leader of Perverted Trio  
HP: 160/160  
MP: 8/8  
STR: 15  
VIT: 16  
AGI: 11  
DEX: 10  
INT: 8  
WIS: 5  
LCK: 15  
POINTS: 10**

The first thing that came to mind was my abysmal MP stat. Although it's pretty much the only thing that's worthy of mentioning because it's that bad, I didn't expect it to be exactly equivalent to my INT stat. I mean, looking at my VIT, it increases my HP by ten with every point it gains, so why can't my INT do the same to my MP? Wait, is it because of class or race restrictions? Considering the fact that Yuuma and Mittelt are apparently not human and they can freely use mana, I'm assuming it is, which pisses me off.

I mean, I didn't even choose my class. Considering I don't like hentai, I could assume it's meaning pervert, but that's not important here. I'd like to point out that the class is not true to who I am because I didn't even get a say in what it was going to be!

I'm fine with the title, though, as it is _kind of_ true, but that's beside the point. The point is that I'm not a Perverted Fiend because I'm neither an evil spirit, demon nor a devotee that is dedicated to worshipping the art of perversion! At this point, I may as well roast the titles, but these titles are confirmed to have no effect. However, just because I'm getting angry, I'm gonna say that maybe I was lied to and the titles do have an effect.

Ok, now it's time to calm down, Issei. There's no need to get that mad, not that I really was in the first place. I mean, it's just a game and games are supposed to be fun and you only get a little mad at games sometimes because of stuff that doesn't make sense. Although, when I think about it, it's not really a game because it's real life, but…

 **[Skill acquired: Anger Suppression.]**

Phew. That's better. The hot pit that had formed in my stomach has faded away. I am no longer _Kratos_ from _God of War_ , so I can be zen and peacefully reflect on everything that is wrong with my stat sheet.

Bah, I can't be fucked doing that right now so I'm just going to sit here quietly and try to use my mana. I did acquire the _Mana Detection_ skill so it should be easier than it was before, but thinking about my abysmal mana stat, I might not even have enough mana to use magic, never mind feeling it inside of me.

But it can't hurt to try, can it? I mean, I have nothing better to do, so it's okay if I probably waste my time. However, how would I go about using my skill? Is it a passive skill or is it an active skill? Well, if I sit still and not think of anything, I'd discover what kind of skill it is.

 **[Skill acquired: Meditation.]**

Upon acquiring that skill, the message appearing behind my retinas, I felt something gradually build up in my body; it was a cool, calming sensation that ran through all of my limbs and appendages as if it was blood and, as the feeling solidified itself in my body, I discovered an instinct and urge to pull the mana outside of my body to use it.

In less than a second, the pleasurable sensation was gone, my mind becoming blank as a wave of mental exhaustion covered my mind. I wasn't sure what had happened next as I was lying on my back in my room, winded and physically weak, but I muttered out one sentence that summed up the whole situation perfectly.

"…Bloody…useless…MP stat…!"

* * *

 **Acquired Skills (Chapters 4 and 5)**

 **Hand-to-Hand Combat: Level 1/10 – 5% EXP  
You can now beat things up without worrying about anything. Isn't that a good thing?**

 **Mana Detection: Level 1/10 – 2% EXP  
There was something in the air. What was it? It was mana, you dummy!**

 **Anger Suppression: Level 1/10 – 1% EXP  
Nothing can make you angry now, not even MOBA games! Well, you don't even play them, but I think you get what I mean.**

 **Meditation: Level 1/10 – 3% EXP  
Wow, you've unlocked the ability to sit still and think about nothing. Well, you're not that good at it yet because you're Issei Hyoudou, but it might get better.**

* * *

 **Wow, it hasn't been a whole month! Well, it's been two weeks, so it's not that good of a time for such a short chapter but it's better than nothing. By the way, I'm not one hundred percent sure if I fixed everything while editing this, so if anyone catches anything that they think is wrong or bad, don't be afraid to tell me about. I'll look at it and fix it if it needs fixing.**

 **Thank you for reading Rock-Paper-Scissors.**


	6. Chapter 6

It was dark.

All I could see, all I could feel, and all I could think of was the darkness. I was in a cesspool of what has frightened humanity for years and I was in the centre of its attention. A fleeting thought crossed my mind, a baseless conjecture that would serve to wake me from this dream, but the darkness became heavier.

It was forcing me down, crushing me under its weight. All I could do was freeze in place, my muscles paralysed from an inherent and instinctual fear that was formed under the experiences of the past of my ancestors.

I struggled, attempting to resist, but my efforts were all for naught.

And then a small flame sparked into existence a considerable distance away from me.

It was small, almost as if it was the flame from a lighter and it appeared to be floating in the darkness. Nonetheless, it was a beacon of hope I felt an instinctual need to approach. However, as I made an effort to move towards it, my fingers minutely twitching, it vanished.

Without any rhyme or reason, it disappeared as soon as it had arrived and despair began to consume me. What was happening? Where am I? Why is darkness the only thing I know?

As the darkness became deafening, my ears ringing profusely, I felt my senses slowly fade away into nothingness. But I felt something. Deeper into the darkness, beyond the place the flame had been, there was something moving around. Their guttural, gruff voice spoke and, for the briefest of moments, an awakening had occurred inside of me.

[My benefactor…you are not yet strong enough to handle my strength. The day will soon arise, but today is not that day.]

My pointless existence ceased to function within that space.

* * *

I was slightly tired. Despite the fact I had slept for more than twelve hours without interruption, I was tired. That's surprising, isn't it? No, it isn't. I slept on a hard floor and probably overslept. Hence, only half of my MP had been restored and I was feeling like crap. And, when you're feeling like crap, the natural thing to do is to complain about it, right?

Well, yes and no.

If there's no one around, you complain. If there's people around, you generally don't unless you know them very well. In this scenario, I didn't know any of the people that were around me. However, despite this, I still complained. It was mostly to myself. It was also in my head because I was surrounded by my fellow students. I really didn't want them to think I was insane on top of being a 'sexual deviant'.

Anyway, I decided to take a small detour through a nearby convenience store to buy an energy drink or two. Although they're bad for me, I could really use the energy right now and having a little bit couldn't hurt my surprisingly healthy diet.

Energy drinks just a have a lot of caffeine and stuff in them, though. Maybe coffee would be better instead?

Regardless, I bought a caffeinated drink, ice coffee being my choice despite my dislike of the real stuff's flavour and I began to down it outside the store like I've been dehydrated for the past week. It was nice and cold and somewhat bitter, and I couldn't help but sigh in satisfaction as the half-empty bottle left my lips.

You know, ever since I started playing this game called life, both metaphorically and physically, things have been different. I've gotten a girlfriend who wants to kill me, I've learnt about magic and I wake up feeling refreshed in the mornings. Although my lack of reaction regarding my circumstances may be weird, I've simply accepted it as is because there's probably nothing I can do about it. Not that I'd want to change anything, anyway. My life is currently comfortable.

With a heavy sigh, I screwed the cap of the bottle back onto it and, as I moved to shove it into my bag, a head of blonde hair stopped short of me. I glanced up at them, raised an eyebrow in confusion and was quick to realise it was that foreigner Yuuma was talking to yesterday. What could she be doing here?

My mind seized up just a little as alarm bells began to scream as loud as they could. They had a good reason too. It's not that I was scared of this girl because of who she was; I was simply being cautious because of her association with Yuuma. I mean, as far as I know, Yuuma could have sent her to kill me. And it'd be pretty easy. There's no one around the convenience store and I'm probably out of range of the security cameras.

I sighed and took a half-step back, a frown slowly forming on my face as the girl struggled to gather her words.

" _Umm…Yuuma said your name was Issei."_ My frown deepened as that foreign tongue tainted my ears. I mean, I couldn't understand what she was saying, other than the fact she had said both my name and Yuuma's, so she could be saying something like, "Yuuma told me to kill you, Issei."

I quickly shook my head as my expression soured. The girl tilted her head to the side in confusion and, as she took one step forward, I took another step back.

" _I don't know if she told you, but my name is Asia."_

"Asia…?" That's right. Yuuma did tell me her name. Although, that's the only thing she told me.

" _Yes. I am Asia. It's nice to meet you."_

"What is a foreigner like you doing in this quiet town?" I couldn't help but mutter to myself, completely disregarding Asia's words. It can't be helped, can it? This mysterious, foreign girl has visited a small town where nothing happens. Isn't this the beginning of a scenario where a mass murder occurs and I, a young high school student, have to stop the killer without the police knowing?

I grimaced and stepped back once again. This time, Asia didn't follow me. I took this chance to inspect her person.

What? Don't give me that look. She might have a weapon, so I can't let my guard down. There's no such thing as being too cautious, is there?

 **[Observation: A girl.]**

Gee, thanks. It's not like that's obvious, _Observation_.

Anyway, dissimilar to yesterday's habit, Asia was wearing a cute, decently long navy skirt and a white, button-up blouse with black stockings and black booties. Conservative yet stylish. I can dig it. It made her look cute.

Ahem.

Anyway, I relaxed my stance just a little and cleared my throat. I grabbed my phone from my pocket, pulled up a translation app and hesitantly spoke into my phone.

"What are you doing here?"

* * *

Hey, she may be associated with Yuuma, but she doesn't seem like a bad person. No, seriously. She's sickeningly innocent and she answered my dodgy questions with no complaints. What was she doing in this town? She's helping Yuuma with some work. What is she doing out and about in the morning? She wanted something to do and decided to explore the town. Is Yuuma trying to kill me? She gave me a funny look on that one and let the question awkwardly hang in the air as my face reddened.

In short, she seems to be a decent person. There's nothing I need to be afraid of, so far. Although, she could be putting on an act. I mean, she seems to be around my age and she knows basically nothing about technology or life in general. Sure, people have their circumstances, but I find it a little suspicious. She's being groomed, isn't she? I'm not wrong, am I?

Despite my conflicted thoughts, we were sitting at a nearby park on a swing set. I bought her canned coffee like a gentleman and strawberry milk tea for myself from a nearby vending machine and we talked about literally nothing through the translator because this girl seems to know nothing about anything.

I couldn't help but sigh every time I asked her a question about her non-existent hobbies, but the conversation was decently fun. Sure, I may be missing school, but aren't my duties as an escort for a fair maiden more important?

I pursed my lips at that thought and took a sip of my milk tea.

School is important, yes, but is this more important? While any other male would be excited to talk to this foreign blondie, I had several circumstances that cut the enjoyment in half. The first one was that my girlfriend is supposed to kill me. The second one is that this girl is employed by Yuuma's father, the person who would have most likely told Yuuma to kill me. The third is that I have a girlfriend.

Talking about my girlfriend, she appears to be approaching us head-on with a gentle gait. How I didn't notice sooner, I don't know, but, regardless of this mystery, I gave her a small wave and she responded with a small smile that made my heart go all _doki-doki_. However, this warm, loving atmosphere dispersed in seconds as soon as Yuuma placed her gaze on Asia.

Yuuma's face was contorted with rage, her eyes the sharpest blades in existence, and a quiet snarl escaped her lips. Luckily for me, the translator was still on. I quickly disabled the text-to-speech function I was using to make life easier for Asia.

"What are you doing out here? I thought I specifically told you to not leave the church." Asia quivered under Yuuma's gaze. A frown formed on my face as I watched the interaction.

"I-I'm sorry. I just wanted to go out and familiarise myself with the town." Yuuma grabbed Asia by the wrist and pulled her to her feet with a shocking amount of strength.

"The next time you leave without permission, the consequences won't be as forgiving." What could Yuuma mean by that? Surely, with her capacity to kill people, she's not talking about ending this innocent girl's life. Dismemberment should be off the table too because that's too inhumane for such a simple error.

"…I am deeply sorry for what I have done." Yuuma glared at Asia and, seconds after, Yuuma glanced in my direction and offered me a sweet smile.

"Sorry about that." She started, speaking in Japanese now, "She left the house without saying anything and my father was concerned for her safety." I slowly nodded as a cold bead of sweat trickled down my back.

"No, that's okay. I understand." Despite my instincts screaming at me to do something to help Asia, I played it safe and maintained my position on the edge of the conflict, merely watching with conflicted emotions.

"Good. Now, shouldn't you be in school, you cheeky truant?" I tilted my head to the side in confusion. Yuuma should also be in school yet she isn't. She's wearing her uniform, so I'm a little surprised.

"The same can be said for you. Did your father tell you to find Asia?" Yuuma hesitantly nodded, a notion that did not escape my keen eyes, and a faltering smile was plastered on her face.

"Yes, that's correct. Once I return Asia to my father, I'll be heading off to school." I stood up and tossed my milk tea at a nearby trash can, watching as it missed horribly and bounced off the side.

 **[Skill acquired: Throw.]**

"Does your father not work?" Yuuma's smile disappeared for a moment and I had no idea what I was doing, provoking her with seemingly harmless questions. However, I have a feeling she knows of the knowledge I have gathered regarding her façade, so I'm really shoving myself into the deep end here.

"He does work. He's off sick today."

"That's mighty convenient, isn't it?" I responded with a smile of my own, my face filled with uncertainty. Yuuma responded with a quiet mumble of agreement and, as she turned around to leave, I spoke once more.

"By the way, is it really alright for you to deny this girl's freedom?"

The atmosphere's weight tripled in an instant.

Slowly turning around, a dangerous glint in her eye, Yuuma's sickeningly sweet smile was enough to make me gulp. My chest tightened and, as I instinctively reached up to claw at my chest, I felt my heart skip a beat.

Is this what true fear is?

"Is that what you think I am doing, Issei?" Her voice, smooth as silk and full of dangerous glee, was enough to make me stagger.

"Hah…if you want me to repeat myself, I can." My instincts were screaming at me to stop, screaming at me to let this monster do what she wanted. My fear was gnawing at my heart and sweat was freely sliding down my back. But my bravado would not allow me to back down. My pride as a man was on the line.

"Oh? Are you…provoking me?" A smirk naturally slid onto my face as I slowly regained my posture.

"It seems to me as if you're taking it the wrong way." Yuuma took one step forward. I used all of my strength and willpower to resist backing away.

"Am I? Am I really doing such a thing? To me, it seems as if you're sticking your nose into places it doesn't belong." My smirk faltered as the corners of her lips turned up.

I, a weak human, is trying to resist the will of a monster whose strength is unmeasured.

I couldn't help but chuckle at the hypocrisy of the situation.

I mean, I had sworn to not enter a dungeon again because it was dangerous yet here I am, almost begging to be killed because of matters that really don't involve me.

Yuuma's right. I am sticking my nose into a place it doesn't belong. Is that wrong? Is it not human to try and protect those you consider to be your friends? Is it not wrong to put your life on the line for just reasons? Despite the fact I barely know anything about this girl, I felt the need to protect her. I wasn't strong, I didn't have any special powers, and the only skill I had that could make a difference was…

I held a hand out with pursed lips, my legs trembling greatly.

"Rock-paper-scissors."

"Excuse me?"

"We'll play a single match of rock-paper-scissors to determine Asia's fate. If I lose, she goes with you. If she wins, she stays with me." Yuuma stared at my hand in what appeared to be disgust before she released Asia's wrist and approached me.

"If that's how you want to settle it, so be it. If I do lose, I can take Asia away by force, regardless of your feelings."

"You wouldn't do such a thing, would you? If you try to break the terms of this game, I might have to use force to stop you."

"Oh, you think you're strong enough to stop me? There's many things you don't know about the world, Issei, and it would be a shame if you were to die before their unveiling."

Yuuma held her hand out as she stopped short of me.

 **[Rock-Paper-Scissors Success Rate: 20%]**

I dismissed the message with a grimace.

"So, you've been quite lucky lately, have you?" Yuuma's glare sharpened, forcing my mouth to close without my consent. I cleared my throat.

"Rock-paper-scissors!"

Yuuma drew paper.

I threw rock.

* * *

 **Yo. It's me. I'm the ultimate procrastinator. Regarding that, I have good news. Previously, I used a laptop to write instead of my PC and, considering the fact I'm always using my PC, I've installed Word on my PC and have written most of this chapter in two days. In short, my productivity rate has probably increased greatly. It's a time to rejoice. Also, exam season ended a couple of days ago and I was busy with that for a week or two.**

 **If you find any errors or have suggestions regarding the flow of this chapter, please do not hesitate to inform me. I am open to any and all criticism, even if it isn't constructive.**

 **Thank you for reading Rock-Paper-Scissors.**


	7. Chapter 7

Despite my fervent beliefs of heroism, I simply watched in relief as the backs of Yuuma and Asia slowly disappeared down one of the many streets.

I felt disgusted at the state of my heart; I wanted to help Asia, wanted to save her because of a strange but sudden sense of deja vu, yet I was unable to perform my duty when the time came. On top of that, I felt _relieved_ when Yuuma took her from me.

I slowly clenched my fists as I allowed a quiet, shaky breath the release it desired.

Glaring down the street the two girls had disappeared, an unknown rage bubbling inside of my heart, I swore upon my heart to achieve one objective.

As long as I breath, Yuuma – no, Raynare is her true name – will never lay another hand on me.

* * *

With some time to think about it, slowly heading off to school with a somewhat wry expression, I could have used the ten spare status points I have on my LCK. It'd probably even out my chances of winning but, when I think about it, glass cannon builds in real life aren't worth it.

I mean, I need to survive to live, right? In the famous words of the very determinate _Shirou Emiya_ , people die when they are killed. That is an indisputable fact. Even though I am living out a video game fantasy, I don't have the ability to respawn nor do I have extra lives. Knowing this, I need to be extra careful.

However, as it had just been demonstrated, the LCK dependent _Rock-Paper-Scissors_ skill can peacefully solve situations that would normally go violent, regardless of how favourable the outcome is. Because it's confirmed I'm a bit of a coward, this would be the logical path to travel but, because I'm a teenage boy who spends too much time playing with his fiddle, I am easily consumed by power-trip fantasies that involve harems and broken protagonists.

So, in that regard, I have the potential to become that protagonist.

Similarly, I have the potential to acquire a harem.

Finally, I have the potential to be a person so dense a cup of concrete can't compare.

…I can't believe people think that's cool. When you think about it, being stupidly broken is not worth it if you can't recognise a girl's feelings. Sure, I may not be the best in that regard, but I'm better than your generic harem protagonist…I think.

Please don't quote me on that.

* * *

It was currently breaktime.

After being berated for my tardiness, I sat through a couple hours' worth of pure boredom before my one salvation came. However, instead of hanging out with my friends like a normal person, I decided to confide in the school nurse regarding my unusual relationship.

"Oh, that's weird. Issei is visiting me." Is what she said to me as I trudged into the room. That remark hurt my fragile heart just a little, but I brushed it off with some manly strength and sighed.

"If that's how you feel about me, I can just leave the room, you know?" Airi grinned in response and, as she placed her chopsticks down on her desk, I closed the door behind me.

"So, what brings you to my humble abode today, young warrior?"

"Relationship troubles, I guess." Airi appeared to be taken aback my comment as her eyes widened ever so slightly.

"Already? It hasn't even been a week and you guys are fighting?" I hummed as I raised a hand to my chin, debating on how much I should reveal to my confident. I mean, I can't tell her some supernatural stuff is going on and how I know about it, so I can only really play around the edges of the entire situation.

"It's not exactly a fight. It's more of a situation where I involve myself in matters that don't concern me because of a restriction of freedom regarding a foreigner and a few statements I believe are lies." There was a short moment of silence.

"…Hah?" Was the only sound Airi could respond with. That was understandable, though, as my statement came out of left field with no warning. "Are you dating the daughter of a yakuza boss or something?"

"Definitely not." Was my immediate response.

"Then what kind of girl are you dating?"

"A cute one." Airi furrowed her brow at my witty response and, with a sigh, she leaned back into her chair.

"I don't even know what you're supposed to do in this situation."

"Are the visual novels and manga not good enough?"

"As if I play those trashy games. I read manga sometimes, I'll admit that much, but visual novels? There's no way in hell I'll ever be playing those. Anyway, there's nothing I can do to help you with your troubles because you're too far into the deep end. Why don't you use our holy Google-sama or something?" With a lighter atmosphere and no apparent leads on what I'm supposed to do, I silently sighed as I felt a sense of agitation build up inside of me.

* * *

It was currently five o'clock past midday. The sky was a nice purple, the distant horizon a rapidly fading orange, and dark clouds were rolling over unreachable mountains. The street lights were starting to flicker on and off and, as the creatures of the night began to chirp and click, I sighed.

I was truly an idiot.

Why was I an idiot?

Well, during one of my afternoon classes, I thought it would be a good idea to visit the abandoned church. I mean, it's not like I'm secretly fearing for my life or anything, so it's actually a good idea but…there was a ball of unease that had settled in my throat and I was convinced I was going to die if I went there. I was feeling agitated earlier and this decision was the result of that but feeling satisfied without investigating the situation properly is not worth it.

However, some things must be done, and this is one of those things. Visiting this church, finding out what's really going on…if I at least know what kind of person Yuuma really is, I'll be satisfied. Taking a knife to the throat, a sword to the chest or a mace to the face, none of that really matters if the mystery is finally revealed to me.

So, with such suicidal tendencies that were uncharacteristic of me and obviously satirical in mind, I was on my way to the damned place. What I'd find there, I don't know, but something was waiting to be discovered. I mean, there are too many mysteries surrounding the legitimacy of Yuuma's identity and her apparent desire to kill me.

Although I am convinced she honestly wants me to die, there is a small part of me that hopes that that isn't the case. That small part is also the part that contains many hidden desires, so it's probably best for me to ignore it.

Anyway, as I checked the time every now and again due to an increasing sense of paranoia and nervousness, the church on the hill becoming ever closer, a faint scent reached my nostrils. I furrowed my brow, thought nothing of it and continued on my merry way but, as the scent became increasingly stronger a few steps forward, I took a moment to calm myself.

Taking a few deep sniffs, the scent unrecognisable due to being too faint yet strong enough to detect, I slowly relaxed as I thought I was in the clear. But this is where a skill that usually ruins the flow of things is acquired, isn't it?

 **[Acquired Skill: Enhanced Smell.]**

Now that I could properly smell the scent as well as the secondary smells that weren't as important, such as people's disgusting trash, a frown slowly formed on my face as I tried to identify what it was I was sniffing. I sincerely hope it's not poison.

Anyway, after I analysed the scent in my mind, I realised that I was smelling fresh blood. There's simply no denying it as its sweet, metallic pungency and coppery texture was strong enough to be tasted by my tongue but…because there's blood, that means something has happened nearby, doesn't it?

I could find the source of the scent and go and investigate, but my danger sense is telling me to not get involved in whatever is happening. That's a logical thing to do, too. I'm only young, inexperienced and mentally weak so I may not be prepared to deal with the situation I might find myself in.

With a quick glance at my surroundings, I pinpointed where the spillage of blood had occurred.

At first glance, it was an ordinary house you'd find in Japanese suburbia; two storeys, rather compact and small, not any different from the rest of the houses in the street. There wasn't a thin wall protecting the front of this house and there wasn't any room for a front garden.

In short, the house was completely normal. However, the first thing I had really noticed upon discovering this exact building was the fact that the front door had been broken clean off its hinges, the practically useless wooden thing lying flat on the floor of the genkan. The inside of the house was dark too, obscuring what lays beyond the door.

And in my mind, I was losing my shit. Like, really? A potential assailant could have kicked the front door down? Acknowledging that fact, I really shouldn't get involved with whatever's happening. I should just run away and not go to the church, however, my curiosity was getting the better of me.

What was happening in this house? Who could have done such a thing? Nothing but a murder case sprung to mind. I knew that approaching a crime scene was illegal and dangerous in multiple ways, but I couldn't help myself. I absolutely _had_ to find out what it was that was happening in this house.

I mean, this could involve Yuuma and her buddy Mittelt as they both have murderous intentions, so catching them in the act would be handy. I could persecute them without any consequences and finally have some peace of mind regarding my relationship with the girl that wants to kill me. Although I'd be heartbroken to find out if she had killed someone other than me, this was a necessary evil I must discover.

Knowing that, I approached the house with an apathetic expression, my resolve as hard as it could possibly be.

Upon reaching the space the door should be occupying, I glanced around the genkan to catch my bearings. I mean, it's important to be cautious and to gather clues, so doing such a thing was completely natural. However, one thing caught my eye, a sight I would see in any normal house.

There was a neat row of shoes that have clearly been undisturbed.

Beside the broken door that clearly had a hole in it, facing the plain wall, was four pairs of shoes; a pair of brown loafers, a pair of black derby shoes (those shoes business men commonly wear), a pair of brown sandals and a pair of white joggers. The shoes came in various sizes and the joggers appeared to be the smallest, their size being that of a young child's. I had to resist biting my lip as unpleasant thoughts surfaced in my mind.

Anyway, through this observation of some stranger's shoes, I could guess the approximate age of the tenants. The first person must be a high school student around my age, the second person was probably a middle-aged man that worked as a salaryman, the third could possibly be the mother and the fourth was definitely a young child.

 **[Due to various deductions, your INT has increased by +2.]**

Now aware of what I was dealing with, I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat as I cautiously edged into the genkan, watching every corner and doorway I could immediately see. As I said earlier, it doesn't hurt to be cautious.

From there, I noticed a thin but spotty trail of blood that led down the corridor. I stepped over the door and onto the floorboards, ignoring the etiquette to take my shoes off as I may need to make a hasty escape, and froze, my breath hitching in my throat as a thump was heard above me.

That is probably not good. That thump could mean many things, but my mind turned to the worst scenario possible.

Someone had collapsed due to passing out or dying or was tackled to the ground.

While it would be heroic to go to the source of the sound straight away, my logic was taking over and was demanding I search the rest of the building to ensure it was safe. I followed my instincts and continued to move, releasing the breath I had been unconsciously holding.

Being cautious of the staircase to my right, I hugged the wall and peered into the decently large living room to my left. Sliding over to the entrance of the room, noticing the lack of blood around the entrance, I peered into the room with an expressionless face to preserve my sanity and cool. I mean, it wouldn't be good if I discovered a body and completely freaked out, would it? Whoever did this may be around, and they might come to kill me, so it was essential to stay calm.

With that thought in mind and after a quick scan that found nothing out of the ordinary, I silently sighed in relief and stepped out of the room.

Moving past this room and into the increasing darkness, the setting sun was doing nothing to help illuminate my surroundings. Nevertheless, I quickly scanned over the kitchen as I reached it, noticing a smashed mug lying on a benchtop with a black liquid among the shards of ceramic. I moved onto the next room, continuing to follow the trail of blood. In the dining room there was seemingly nothing out of the ordinary and past that was the backdoor and a small laundry that smelt like bleach.

Thankfully, it seems as if this floor is clear. But…now I have no choice to venture upstairs where it'll be extremely dangerous. There will be no escape routes and not a lot of room to move around, so getting caught up in a fight would be deadly. However, having come this far, I kind of have an obligation to investigate the rest of the building. There was a sound from upstairs a minute ago too and, although it could be the work of a killer, it could also be the sound of someone that desperately needs my help.

Also, just because I haven't seen any dead bodies yet, I was assuming this was a murder case as the broken-down door and trail of blood indicated it to be so and because it was a good motivator for me to stay cautious. Sure, it could be a robbery, but no sane robber would kick a door open. They'd usually sneak in through a window or something. In fact, I wouldn't be in this stranger's house, hair standing on end, if it was a robbery.

Such thoughts are useless though, aren't they? I need to go and help whoever is injured and make sure they're alive before calling emergency services. However, as I casually took one step towards the staircase, my body and senses beginning to relax, a youthful, audibly female but muffled screech reached my ears.

I stared up at the ceiling in shock, cold sweat running down my back.

Now that it has been confirmed that a person is indeed in trouble, what the hell am I supposed to do!? Hysteria was taking over and the only thing I could think of was my own safety as I was one hundred percent sure there was a murder taking place.

In this situation, I should call the police. I should definitely call the police. _I need to call the police_.

These thoughts were penetrating my mind as I slowly backed away in a futile attempt to distance myself from this event, however, there was no helping it. I'm too far deep now, so shouldn't I go and help the person that is clearly being attacked!?

No, no, I need to live. First and foremost is my own safety. I don't care about other people, I don't care about other people. _I only care about myself_. Without a shred of decency left, I made a mad dash for the entrance to ensure my survival. As I leapt over the broken door, my eyes wide in panic, another scream reached my ears.

"Somebody! Help me!" I froze again. My thoughts were still running wild.

I mean, that voice was…the voice of a girl. The first thing that entered my mind was delusions of sexual assault, however, that may not even be a delusion at this point. I released a shaky breath as I stared out at the street and, after gritting my teeth in indecisiveness, I threw my bag to the ground and spun around on the balls of my feet, already running. Bolting up the staircase as fast as I could, each step feeling like several years of mental torture, I came to a stop at the top as the sounds of a struggle ceased.

I swallowed the mouthful of saliva I had accrued and stepped towards a door on my right. I cautiously grabbed the handle and, as the door slowly creaked open, I snapped my eyes shut.

The scene I saw…surely it wasn't real? The decapitated head of a man, a diced-up body next to him, and the bloodied, unrecognisable corpse of someone that used to be alive with blood everywhere… I resisted the urge to vomit then and there as the scent of fresh blood was overwhelming, the sight of an endless amount of gore burning itself into my mind despite my eyes being closed.

I swallowed the acidic taste in my mouth and turned away from the scene, my hand fumbling for the door handle. As soon as my fingers made contact with it, I grasped it tightly and quickly slammed the door shut, my hands instantly covering my mouth as I resisted the urge to vomit.

That scene…whoever did _that_ is a monster beyond any type of redemption. Although I could handle scenes like that in movies and games, I didn't think I'd be this weak to it in real life. I mean, if I think it's not real, it won't hurt me, right? Right!?

I opened my eyes and took several deep breaths to centre myself. Now is not the time to display weakness; someone needs help and I am currently the only person that can help them. If I were to falter here, what would happen to them?

I slid over to the next door and prepared myself. Although seeing more of… _that_ …would be extremely unpleasant, it might be a necessary evil. To be the hero I always dreamed of when I was a kid, to be the one that saves everyone, I have to put up with these things, right?

I gripped the door handle with as much mental strength as I could muster, and, with another deep breath, I let it swing open at its own pace.

What I saw enraged me.

Thrown to the floor, their features obscured by the ever-present darkness, was a girl. There wasn't anything special about her, however, I was barely able to make out the glint in her lifeless eyes as she glanced me. I briefly noted the uniform of my school and silently cursed.

"Oh, what is it? What are you looking at now!?" To top things off, a strange man was pinning her to the ground, erotic pants escaping him as he slowly ran a hand along her cheek.

Despite this revelation, I wasn't feeling particularly angry. I was enraged, yes, but not enough to act irrationally but…there was a steady feeling of disgust as I watched this scene while biting the inside of my cheek.

And I just realised one thing. This man…after killing this girl's family, this man was going to defile this innocent girl and then end her life once he has broken her in all sorts of ways.

Uttering that sentence in my mind left a foul taste in my mouth.

But I slowly released a shaky breath of air as I knew this man can and will kill this girl at any moment, my powerlessness becoming clear to me. I needed to act, though, and fast as this situation may escalate to proportions that I won't be able to handle. "I suggest you get off of her," I started, my voice shaky yet firm, the man's head snapping towards me the second I spoke, "If you don't, we may have a problem."

The man jumped to his feet and backed away from the girl's body, one of his hands reaching into the coat he was wearing. The only noticeable features of his face I could see was his decently long, strangely white hair and his perverse grin.

"Are you saying you would…attack me?" The man took one step back and, as I opened my mouth to respond, my next sentence not even known to me, there was an ear-piercing, unbelievably loud bang.

There was a small, bullet sized hole in the door frame next to me and, as a golden casing bounced and clattered on the floor, my eyes traced its path to find the cause. In the next second, my eyes made contact with a small, black shape that could only be known as a single weapon.

With a pistol in hand, a manic grin now present on their face, the man chuckled as he took one step towards me.

My future was looking rather dire.

* * *

 **Heya. Although I said chapter releases would probably be quicker, that was obviously a lie. Sorry. But I do try my hardest to write as often as I can. I hope everyone realises that. Anyway, this is leading into the climax of the arc, so please be patient as I try to pump out chapters that meet mine and everyone else's standard of quality.**

 **Thank you for reading Rock-Paper-Scissors.**


	8. Chapter 8

Breathe.

Issei, you need to breathe.

Panicking will not help in this situation.

Yes, this man may have a gun, but that doesn't matter.

If I can rush him, push the pistol away from me, and snatch it off him, I should be fine.

So, I should breathe.

I won't be able to follow such an optimistic ideal if I am not overcome by waves of peace.

But I couldn't breathe.

Despite my clear train of thought, I was screaming out and hyperventilating in my mind as I stared at the pistol, eyes wide in fear and apprehension, as its user approached.

And then I was hit with the harsh reality of the situation.

There was nothing I could do.

There was absolutely nothing I could do when confronted with such an opponent.

I glanced at my stat sheet as I willed it into existence, eyeing the ten spare status points I had.

Although it would be wise to dump my points into agility or dexterity, so I could move faster than the guy could react, my instincts were screaming at me to not fight this guy. Whoever he was, my instincts were warning me of my death if I tried to fight him in a physical battle.

I was once again reminded of my powerlessness and I cursed myself for not visiting the dungeon again, even if it was frightening and dangerous.

"Hoo, you haven't fought back yet. Are you a coward, or are you smart?" The perverse grin shifted into a more sinister smile and I felt sick to the core. Yet I managed to offer the man a shaky grin as he waved his gun around in my face. "Either way, it doesn't matter. I mean, it seems as if your instincts are telling you something. What are they telling you, _boy_?"

"They're telling me that your emphasis on 'boy' was useless." I snapped my mouth shut and kicked myself for the unnecessary remark, yet the quiet chuckle that escaped the man's mouth eased my heart just a little.

And then he pressed the cool barrel of his pistol against my forehead.

"I thought you'd be more fun and fight back like that whore over there, but oh well, what can you do?" His lyrical and melodious way of speaking made me furrow my brow, however, I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat instead as I knew that my end was just around the corner.

In fact, I could already feel the water of the river Styx on my feet.

Although, there was still a few questions I wanted to ask. Despite the sudden calm that had come over me because I had recognised there was no way out of this situation, I wanted to speak up and ask who this man was and what exactly it was he was doing.

"Before you kill me, I want to ask you a couple of questions. Nothing harmful, I promise. Just something to satiate my curiosity." A glimpse of the man's crimson eyes as he glanced up at me was all I needed to confirm the fact that he was probably unhuman in some way. But, as he was now staring me straight in the eyes, I took that as a signal to ask my question.

"You… Do you have any connection to Yuuma Amano – no, the girl called Raynare?"

The man flinched, clicked his tongue and holstered his pistol on the inside of his coat, his hand pulling his hat down to cover his eyes. This all happened in a single second.

"So you're the bitch's boytoy, huh? This is too unfortunate for me." And, with that, he dashed out of the room after a heavy, almost exaggerated sigh. I stared at empty air in disbelief before I blinked a few times, my lips pursed.

Following that, the chaos of my mind returned to me. My thoughts were in disarray, I was hyperventilating for real this time and I truly didn't know what to do now.

So I had to weigh the options.

In option number one, I stayed behind and took care of this girl until the police and ambulance arrive. I am ultimately questioned and am possibly detained for a period of time until my innocence is proven. After that, all of the women love me, and I am automatically better than that princely fiend Yuuto Kiba.

In option number two, I chase after this strange man and ultimately meet my death. I'm not doubting my slim chances of survival, but with my horrendous stats, there's no way I can beat anything. However, my curiosity is sated, and I can die knowing the truth.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and quietly dialled the emergency services hotline as I left the room.

I mean, who said I couldn't choose both?

* * *

 **[Sprint: Level 1 has become Sprint: Level 2!]**

 **[Because you feel as if your lungs and heart are going to explode, your AGI has increased by +2 and your VIT has increased by +1!]**

Outside of this godforsaken church, behind a bush, I was literally dying. I mean, my heart was beating way too quickly and way too hard for it to be normal and there was a slight pain in my chest every time I breathed in.

But, well, this is what I was expecting when I followed the guy all the way here. Hunched over, hands on my knees and awkward rasps escaping me, I couldn't imagine a better outcome. How far did I run though? It must have been at least several kilometres. Maybe five? I think it's between five and ten and sprinting that entire distance is certainly not a normal thing to do.

You know, I think I deserve those extra stat points.

Anyway, after I took a few moments to calm my heart and lungs, my chest feeling a little light and fluffy after the intense pain it suffered, I straightened my back and clothes and approached the building with as much calm as I could muster.

I mean, my presence would have been revealed by now by the strange man so there was no point in hiding the fact that I was here. It would straight up be stupid. I was also thinking that Yuuma might save me in someway if I'm attacked out in the open, but I wasn't counting on her to do that.

As I finished that thought, the double doors slowly swung open, the ominous creaking of the hinges being carried by a sudden gust of wind. I stopped in my tracks, halfway to the doors, and stared into the darkness that lay beyond them, my brow furrowing.

Out stepped a bundle of black that had blonde twin tails sticking out of their head.

I instinctively swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat as I immediately knew who this person was. They were Yuuma's friend, the loli girl Mittelt who is looking to kill me as soon as possible.

"You're a brave one, Hyoudou." Hyoudou? Why the hell would she callously call me by my last name like that, ignoring how I live in a Japanese society and how, despite this, no one ever calls me by my last name? Also, what's with her get up? She's literally only wearing black on such a dark night whereas when I saw her last her clothes were white that was accentuated by black? There are too many details to observe!

"Well, I do like to think I'm courageous, not brave." Mittelt, as she approached me, rose an eyebrow.

"There's a difference?"

"Yup," was my quick reply as I instinctively felt a conglomeration of energy form around me, "bravery is where you feel no fear when confronting danger where courage is feeling fear instead."

"Oh? That's interesting. Anyway, I'm going to kill you now." As she finished her sentence, a row of thin, pale rods formed in the air, their luminescent light brightly illuminating the surroundings. I frowned as I glanced up at where the moon should be, dark clouds obscuring the object.

"Before you kill me, there's something I want to ask you." Oh look, a feeling of déjà vu that correlates to a question I asked literally twenty minutes ago.

"Depending on what you ask, I might be gracious enough to answer your question."

"…What exactly are you?" If there was any sound other than our conversation, it would have ceased at once as my heavy question pressed down on the comfortable atmosphere Mittelt was building with her arrogance. Her frown was telling me she wanted to kill me immediately yet the slight twinkle in her eyes revealed her true feelings.

"Hmph. I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you. You're going to die anyway."

Don't tell me this girl is some kind of…tsundere.

I shuddered as I realised the possibility was high.

"To answer your question, Hyoudou, I'm just a human." I noticed Mittelt's smug grin and glanced at the magical rods.

"Yeah, I'm going to have to ask you to not lie." And with that, Mittelt harrumphed, crossed her arms, and turned her head away in pure tsundere fashion. Following that, I sighed and callously approached her, ignoring the instinctual need to push everything out of my way. "…Aaaaaand you just missed a good chance to kill me."

"Wait, what!? When the hell did you get there!?" I frowned and was taken aback by her statement. I mean, yeah, Mittelt's eyes were closed, but she should have been able to hear me approach her…

Wait a second. I have a stealth skill or something like that, don't I? Although its effects seem to be a little overpowered in such a scenario, it might have an attack bonus against tsunderes!

…Or not. It's worth considering, though.

"Well, did Yuuma tell you I'm a ninja?"

"You're a ninja!?" And with that, Mittelt hopped back not once but twice, covering a decent amount of distance, and summoned more of those magical rod things.

"No, I'm not really a ninja, but I would say I'm fairly lucky."

"And what does that have to do with anything!?" I sighed and rubbed the back of my head, acknowledging the fact that I'm not acting in a suitable manner for this situation. Is it because of the sheer stupidity and unrealistic scenario? Or is it my resistance skills taking effect because I somehow don't find this small girl to be…scary _or_ threatening.

"Well, I'm trying to insinuate that I'm only lucky and that it's my only chance to get out of these kinds of situations alive. That's how I beat Yuuma the first time, you know." It was Mittelt's turn to be taken aback by her opponent's words.

"What do you mean!? As if she'd let someone like _you_ lure her into such an easy trap!" I felt a shit-eating grin form on my face.

"What if I told you it was Yuuma's suggestion?" There was a short moment of silence as Mittelt's face reddened. "Just so you know, I'm not joking. You can ask her yourself." It seems as if that was the last straw as a few rods flew towards me at speeds that were way too fast for someone to react to.

"Don't lie, you filthy human!"

However, because I'm influenced by video game stats and whatnot, I easily dived to the side and avoided a painful death. After that, a cluster was hastily thrown towards the vulnerable me. I quickly pivoted onto my back and rolled backwards, landing on my butt after a full rotation, and watched as the rods landed in a neat row that was a few millimetres in front of the tips of my toes.

A cold sweat broke onto my back as I glanced up at the foe that was approaching me, my eyes mostly fixated on the rods that were appearing around her.

"I'm surprised you managed to dodge those, Hyoudou. However, don't think I'm going to go easy on you anymore!" And with that, rods of light began to appear one after another, rapidly filling my vision as Mittelt appeared to be fuming where she stood. I don't understand why she's so angry, but it seems to be a good thing as she'll eventually run of out mana.

And it's not like I can do anything other than wait.

I mean, I have practically no magical abilities, no physical abilities and no battle skills. I've literally only invested myself in LCK so far and, even though I have ten spare skill points, its not as if dumping them into AGI or STR will do anything in this situation.

Like, I can't even see Mittelt. There's no way ten more AGI stats will get me past an impenetrable magical wall that's formed from magical spears. I either wait for Mittelt to run out of mana, or I die. They're my only options.

So, to live, I need to aggravate Mittelt even further.

Even if it means I need to desecrate the holy image I think I have.

"Hey, Mittelt. You wanna know more about my interactions with Yuuma?"

"What!?" Was her…very aggressive response. I mean, I wasn't expecting anything less, but the amount of bark hurt just a little.

"Well, Yuuma and I made a little bet. If I won that game of rock-paper-scissors, she'd show me her panties. If I lost, she'd probably have killed me."

"The way you speak is telling me you won!" And with that, to avoid becoming a pincushion on one side of my body, I had to drop to the ground faster than an asteroid. There wasn't any crater or anything, but there was a lot of pain in my ribcage.

"Yeah, I won, and what about it!? It's all Yuuma's fault, isn't it? Sure, I may have…err… _persuaded_ her to follow through on her end, but still, she made a conscious decision to do that!"

"No, she didn't! I know you forced her to!" And then it hit me.

"Do you only want to kill me because of that one incident that one hundred percent had consent!?"

"Yes! What of it!? I know that Raynare would willingly make a bet, but she'd never do something that stupidly erotic and romantic!" Wait a minute, this goth loli isn't jealous, is she?

"You…you're not some jealous, yuri obsessed yandere, are you?"

"Who do you think I am!?"

"A jealous, yuri obsessed yandere. Also, someone that isn't human."

"I'm not into that stuff, dammit!"

"I could care less. Anyway, stop attacking me already! It's not fair!" There was a short moment of silence before Mittelt sighed and crossed her arms, a disgusted look being pointed my way. I glanced behind me to make sure there wasn't anyone else here.

"Pathetic. You're not strong enough, so you start to beg for your life? Absolutely pathetic!" What the hell is this girl talking about? And what's with the sudden shift in attitude!? Can this girl make her mind up already!? I furrowed my brow as I pushed myself onto my feet, one hand held over my ribcage as I resisted the urge to wince.

"I have no idea what you're talking about as I haven't started begging yet."

"So the keyword is 'yet', huh?"

"Yup. So, if you really want me to beg, you're gonna have to make me!" And with that, I recklessly charged at Mittlet with a stupid grin, my ambitions soaring as I foolishly took advantage of her implied kindness.

She was quick to react though and quickly summoned more of those magical spears, however, she finally seemed to be running out of steam as there was only a few left. I dove to the ground with my arms over my head and felt them soar over me, a few thunks from behind indicating they had hit some trees.

I quickly scrambled to my feet and closed the remaining few meters in an instant, Mittelt's eyes clenched shut as I pounced at her.

With a loud roar, I had tackled to her ground.

 **[Skill acquired: Battle Cry]**

Panting, straddling her stomach with my knees on her elbows, I had won. A quiet, yet shaky laugh escaped my mouth as I trembled.

"…What's up with you now, you weirdo?"

"I did it! I beat my first real enemy!" The upside was, I didn't even need to use _Rock-Paper-Scissors_! That proves that I'm a manly man that is fairly lucky anyway! And what did I say earlier about not being strong enough to beat anyone?!

"So what are you going to do now? Are you going to kill me?" My expression drooped at the sudden change of mood. Staring up at me, with no visible light in her eyes, this prideful loli had suggested she wanted to die.

"What, is losing too much for you?" I tried to crack a joke to improve the mood, but it clearly didn't work. There was now a fire present inside of her, though, as she growled and started to struggle. She wasn't strong enough to throw me off her, so I was able to maintain my dominant position.

"What's the point in winning if you don't kill the loser at the end!?"

Eh? What? Why the hell would Mittelt have such an ideal?

I hadn't realised it, but in my confusion and mixed feelings, I had lowered my head enough for a loud crack to reverberate throughout my head. I fell back off Mittlet and quickly held a hand to my forehead as I jumped to my feet, a wave of dizziness assaulting me. "Do you seriously want to die or something?" I spoke as her chest quickly rose and fell. She seemed to be affected by the headbutt too as she stumbled back a few steps.

"If you don't kill me, I won't be forgiven for losing to a human like you. There would be no point in living."

This situation. It has become unexpectedly dark.

"What exactly do you mean?" Mittelt awkwardly laughed, her exhaustion present in her voice as she stepped towards me. I took a half step back, my muscles tensing as I expected another battle.

"You won't understand and that's why you won't be able to do anything. You want to save that foreigner, right?" I nod my head. "There are many more people who are stronger than I am that are guarding her, Raynare included. You better prepare for your death."

I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat as Mittelt fell onto her back.

* * *

 **Boom. Procrastination prevails New record for longest break between updates set at ten weeks. Let's see if I can beat it.** **Long story short, super busy in real life. Lots of work, lots of school, that kind of stuff. Anyway, because it's still relevant, how did everyone feel about the first episode of Goblin Slayer? I thought it was sad, but it hasn't deterred me from the series.**

 **Thank you for reading Rock-Paper-Scissors.**


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